Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers Expert Pick – January 7, 2024

LOS ANGELES RAMS VS.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS EXPERT PICK – JANUARY 7, 2024 – Greetings, football fans. Welcome back to our NFL coverage here at Godzilla Wins.

After our earlier look at Bears v. Packers, my other game of the week features the Los Angeles Rams (9-7 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) taking on the San Francisco 49ers (12-4 SU, 9-7 ATS).

This one may be somewhat difficult to predict because both teams may be resting a few starters since they know their postseason fates have been determined.

So, without further delay, here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Kickoff

When: Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 4:25 PM ET

Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

TV: FOX

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Rams Extend Their Winning Streak To Four Games?

The Rams enter this matchup riding the wave of a three-game winning streak that helped them secure a wild-card berth in the postseason. In Week 17, the Rams barely held on for a 26-25 win against the New York Giants.

Matthew Stafford finished 24-for-34 with 317 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and two interceptions. Kyren Williams paced the Rams’ ground attack with 87 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 20 carries. Puka Nacua caught five balls for 118 yards.

Can The Niners Continue Their Dominance Over Their Division Rival?

Niners Offensive Stats                               Niners Defensive Stats
Scoring: 29.4 PPG – 2nd                               Points Allowed: 17.3 PPG – 2nd
Total Yards: 415.8 YPG – 2nd                      Yards Allowed: 306.8 YPG — 7th
Passing Yards: 274.3 YPG – 2nd                 Passing Yards Allowed: 218.3 YPG — 15th
Rushing: 141.5 YPG – 3rd                             Rushing Yards Allowed: 88.5 YPG – 3rd

Meanwhile, the 49ers are 9-1 against the Rams in the last 10 meetings between these two teams, and they come into this matchup having played well over the last several weeks also.

Following a 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, San Francisco got back into the win column with a 27-10 win against the Washington Commanders, giving the team seven wins across its last eight outings.

Brock Purdy was 22-for-28 with 230 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. Brandon Aiyuk tallied seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Elijah Mitchell accumulated 80 rushing yards on 17 carries and one touchdown.

The Niners’ defense had a bounce-back performance as well. This unit held the Commanders to just 225 total yards. Additionally, the Niners forced two turnovers and held Washington scoreless in the second half.

Now that we are done with the preliminary info, here is a look at the betting trends for both teams.

The Picks

The Spread

The Niners opened as a consensus three-point favorite. At the time of the writing, the line has moved up to four points for the home team. Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
• Los Angeles is 1-7 ATS in its last eight matchups against San Francisco.
• The Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against divisional opponents.
• The Niners are 4-2 ATS in their last six games
• San Francisco is 13-2 ATS in its last  15 January games.
• The Niners are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Sunday home games

Given the above trends, going with the home team to cover looks like a good choice.

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers (-4)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 44 points. The line has moved to 41 points. Here are a few trends that suggest why going with the “over” is the smart play in this matchup.

• The OVER total has hit five times in the Rams’ last six contests.
• The total has gone OVER four times in Los Angeles’s last five road outings.
• The OVER total has hit four times in the Niners’ last six games.
• The OVER total prevailed six times in San Francisco’s last seven matchups against divisional opponents.

Prediction: OVER 41 points