Sean McVay has had remarkable success against the NFC West since joining the Rams, going 4-2 in his first season and 6-0 in his second. His Rams have already lost two division games this season with two more still to go, beginning with the 49ers on Saturday night.
In their late-season matchup last year, it was the Rams locked in as a playoff team and one of the best squads in the league. This time around, it’s the 49ers fighting for postseason positioning, needing a win to keep pace with the Seahawks in the NFC West.
That’s not to say the Rams are just playing spoiler; they need two wins and two losses by the Vikings to make the playoffs, themselves. It’s just that the Rams aren’t in a great spot the way San Francisco is.
So can they pull off the upset as 6.5-point underdogs on the road? The chances don’t look great, but the Rams will at least keep it close at Levi’s Stadium. They’ll cover the spread and stay within one score of the 49ers, playing better than they did in Week 6 when San Francisco shut them down and held Jared Goff to 78 yards passing.
The Rams just aren’t consistent enough to beat a team like the 49ers – even though their inconsistency is what leads some to believe they’ll win on Saturday after laying an egg against the Cowboys in Week 15.
The 49ers pass rush, even without Dee Ford, is simply too good for the Rams to handle. Goff has struggled under pressure and unless he’s frequently rolling out of the pocket, the passing attack doesn’t move the ball very well. Todd Gurley probably won’t offer a ton on the ground, either, with Fred Warner leading the 49ers’ stout defensive front.
Defensively, the Rams will have trouble stopping San Francisco’s potent rushing attack, which ranks second in the NFL. Tackling was a huge problem against the Cowboys and with the season wearing on, odds aren’t great that Dallas will shut down San Francisco’s running backs.
In the end, the 49ers will pull away and secure a narrow victory.
Final score prediction: 49ers 24, Rams 20.