49ers vs. Rams Week 8 matchup preview and current betting lines
The San Francisco 49ers (3-4) and Los Angeles Rams (3-3) are meeting for the second time in October, but this one is really big for the NFC West race. The 49ers won the Week 4 meeting, 24-9, as it was another dominant performance by the defense, and another instance of the Rams being dominated up front.
The Rams are 0-3 against the Bills, Cowboys, and 49ers this year. They failed to score more than 10 points in each game. What do they have in common? Great defensive fronts that took Matthew Stafford down for at least five sacks. In the Rams’ three wins, they largely played teams that can’t get a pass rush like the Falcons, Cardinals, and Panthers.
The 49ers have picked up Christian McCaffrey in a trade since the Week 4 meeting, the type of bold move you’d sooner expect the Rams to make. But the Rams did not add a wide receiver to help Cooper Kupp or someone to bolster the offensive line. It is largely the same cast that just started 3-3 with disappointments along the line and skill positions with Stafford not connecting with Allen Robinson as hoped.
This is a pivotal moment in the NFC West race if the 49ers can complete the sweep and go into their bye at 4-4. The NFL Week 8 odds have the 49ers as a 1.5-point road favorite with a total of 43 points. That is basically the same betting lines the Week 4 matchup had. Will this one be any different?
Players to watch in the 49ers vs. Rams game
San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey: In his last game with the Panthers two weeks ago, McCaffrey had 158 yards from scrimmage against these Rams. He was a one-man show, but he’ll have more help this time. He’ll also have a better grasp of the playbook than he did in his debut against the Chiefs on Sunday. Look for McCaffrey to have a big game and immediately make his presence felt in this NFC West battle.
Los Angeles Rams
Allen Robinson: Before the bye, Robinson had his best game of the season with five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown against Carolina. It would be big if he could get on the same page as Stafford and be the kind of weapon this offense needs opposite of Kupp. That’s what the Rams had with Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. last season. Robinson was held to a season-low 7 yards against the 49ers in Week 4, so we’ll see if he gets shut down again or if they found a way over the bye week to work him into the offense more.
Our Best NFL Bets for the 49ers vs. Rams game
We have two NFL Week 8 predictions for this critical NFC West rematch.
49ers vs. Rams Point Spread Pick: 49ers -1.5 (-105)
The 49ers vs. Rams spread opened with the Rams as a 2.5-point home favorite before drastically changing to making the 49ers a 1.5-point road favorite.
It is hard to argue with past results. Kyle Shanahan is not the most reliable head coach in the league, but he is 7-1 against Sean McVay’s Rams over the last eight meetings. He did lose the biggest one in the NFC Championship Game last year, but even that required a 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter by the Rams, including a dropped interception at midfield.
In Week 4, the Rams did not look able to penetrate this defense. In the weeks since, the defense has suffered some injuries and the unit has looked very mortal against the Falcons and Chiefs in losses the last two weeks. In fact, the defense was outright terrible against Kansas City, but the Chiefs are on a whole different level offensively than the 2022 Rams.
McCaffrey is going to do big things in this game. Deebo Samuel is banged up and may not play, but McCaffrey can double up as a running back and receiver for this offense that still has George Kittle (finally unlocked against the Chiefs last week) and Brandon Aiyuk. Jimmy Garoppolo is not a great quarterback, but he has been reliable against the Rams and Aaron Donald.
Despite being a 3-4 team, the 49ers have the fourth-best odds of winning Super Bowl 57 right now. There are high expectations on this team, and they do have the better roster than the Rams. They also have the coaching edge in this specific matchup, and we are going to rely on that for the 49ers to do it again and complete the sweep for your NFL bet of the week.
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bet on nfl with fanduel >Total: Under 43 Points (-110)
The coaches are offensive gurus with their understudies taking jobs all over the league, but five of the last six meetings between these two have failed to produce more than 43 points.
Even in the lone high-scoring game, last year’s 27-24 overtime win by the 49ers in LA in Week 18, that was a 24-17 game in the final minutes before Garoppolo led a game-tying drive. One more stop and that game ends with 41 points too.
We still like the under in this one, because despite all the offensive wizardry and big-name skill players involved, it is hard to trust these quarterbacks against these defenses. You also have the Rams struggling on offense this year against good defenses, and Samuel is not 100% for the 49ers. They also keep using George Kittle as a blocker a lot instead of unleashing him as a receiver where he is right up there with Travis Kelce as the best in the game.
The last meeting earlier this month was 24-9, and that included a pick-six. We might see the Rams score a few more points this time, but even if it ends 24-17, that’s still well in position for the under hitting. That’s our pick again for these teams.
bet on NFL with draftkings >Frequently asked questions about the 49ers vs. Rams game in week 8
The game is being played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Since 2017, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is 9-10 ATS as a road favorite. But Rams coach Sean McVay is only 1-4 ATS as a home underdog in that same span.
You can find plenty of info with our player prop picks and daily NFL predictions.