On Sunday, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams will play a crucial game in the NFC West title chase at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
As they cope with injuries to their key offensive players, both teams will attempt to recover from their losses from the previous week.
For our 49ers vs. Rams prediction, odds, and top pick for NFL Week 3, continue reading.
Week 3 49ers vs. Rams prediction
Pick: BetMGM Sportsbook’s -110 odds for under 44.5 points
In past seasons, San Francisco has triumphed without Deebo Samuel, but those victories featured Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers will have neither on Sunday at Los Angeles.
Those two players are excellent dual threats, which helps the 49ers offense. The 49ers will need to adopt a more conventional strategy when both of them are removed. It’s simpler to justify that.
Without Kupp and Nacua, the Rams will probably have trouble facing a formidable San Francisco defense. Although there is still a chance that some of the backup wide receivers may do better than usual and running back Kyren Williams is still quite good, it doesn’t look like the Rams will be able to reach even a decreased ceiling at this point.
Both offenses should be well below their typical level.
NFL Week 3 49ers vs. Rams odds
Even though San Francisco is traveling for Sunday’s game, the 49ers are still being asked to cover a significant number by the bookmakers. In a division game, you will need to lay seven or seven and a half points with the 49ers, depending on the online sportsbook you select.
As of right now, the 49ers are 1-1 against the spread. In Week 1, they were 3.5-point favorites and won by 13 points; in Week 2, they were 4-point favorites and lost by 6 points. After losing to Arizona by 31 points as a pick-em and six points as 5-point underdogs, the Rams are 0-2 ATS.
On the total, both teams are tied at one.
Why San Francisco could win as the favorite
When San Francisco was forced to play without running back Christian McCaffrey in the season opener, they didn’t miss a beat. In both the victory over the Jets and the defeat to Minnesota last week, Jordan Mason amassed a ton of yardage.
Don’t anticipate the 49ers to regress much now that they will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel due to an injury because culture and systems matter. Jauan Jennings, who has shown himself to be dependable, is probably the next guy up.
However, the Rams have a history of struggling when their best players aren’t there, so the loss of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua might hurt them against a defense that always appears to play well.
Why Los Angeles could win as the underdog
The Rams will have a difficult time winning this game, but they always receive a slight boost when a strong club plays at home.
The offense will suffer from Kupp and Nacua’s absences, but perhaps this gives the Rams offensive coaches a chance to try something new. Kupp will no longer be circling the backfield prior to the snap, thus the 49ers defense’s access to that footage is essentially useless.
Sean McVay, the head coach of the Rams, is among the greatest in the league, so he might have a surprise plan in store for the 49ers.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
