Both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are playoff bound and their Week 18 matchup on Sunday afternoon means little to affect playoff seeding. San Francisco is locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while Los Angeles is guaranteed to be the No. 6 or No. 7 seed for the Wild Card round next weekend. Both teams enter off wins in Week 17: the 49ers (12-4) defeated the Commanders, 27-10, while the Rams narrowly beat the Giants, 26-25. The 49ers have won nine of the last 10 meetings, including a 30-23 victory in Week 2. San Francisco is 9-7 against the spread, while Los Angeles is 9-6-1 in 2023-24.
Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium. San Francisco is favored by 4 points in the latest Rams vs. 49ers odds, while the over/under is 40 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any 49ers vs. Rams picks, you need to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NFL season on an incredible 181-129 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 35-21 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rams vs. Niners and just locked in its picks and NFL Week 18 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Niners vs. Rams:
- 49ers vs. Rams spread: 49ers -4
- 49ers vs. Rams over/under: 40 points
- 49ers vs. Rams money line: 49ers -202, Rams +167
- 49ers vs. Rams picks: See picks at SportsLine
- 49ers vs. Rams live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why the Rams can cover
The Rams entered the 2023-24 season with not many expectations, considering they had an aging quarterback in Matthew Stafford and their top wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, opened the season on Injured Reserve. But they have gotten significant contributions from unexpected sources, namely second-year running back Kyren Williams and rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua. Los Angeles' season will continue in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs next weekend.
For Week 18, the Rams may choose to rest their key players, including Stafford, as veteran backup Carson Wentz is scheduled to start in San Francisco. Nacua will play, but likely only for a short time, as he's 28 yards behind the NFL's all-time rookie receiver record of 1,473 yards set in 1960. See which team to pick here.
Why the 49ers can cover
With the No. 1 seed and home field advantage locked up, San Francisco has the luxury of being cautious. Star running back Christian McCaffrey, the league's rushing champion with 1,459 yards, will not play due to a minor calf injury suffered against Washington last week. Quarterback Brock Purdy will be rested, though coach Kyle Shanahan said many other starters will see action to avoid the potential rust of a two-week break.
Fortunately for San Francisco, backup QB Sam Darnold has years of starting experience and has played fairly well in minimal action this season. Darnold is 12 for 20 passing for 108 yards with one touchdown and one interception in 2023. In a game that likely will resemble a preseason game in terms of major names missing, San Francisco looks to maintain momentum heading into their first round bye next week. See which team to pick here.
How to make 49ers vs. Rams picks
The model has simulated Rams vs. 49ers 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in more than 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's 49ers vs. Rams pick at SportsLine.
So who wins 49ers vs. Rams on Sunday, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the San Francisco vs. Los Angeles spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 181-129 roll on its top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
