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The battle for the NFC West has felt like a two-horse race between the Rams and Seahawks for most of the season, but don't forget about the San Francisco 49ers, because they are very much still in it. 

With the Rams and Seahawks facing each other on Thursday night, not only will the 49ers likely be paying very close attention to the game, but there's a good chance that they'll actually be rooting for Seattle to win. 

So why would the 49ers want the Seahawks to come out on top? The answer to that is simple: If the Seahawks win, the 49ers would suddenly control their own fate for both the NFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. That's right, a win by the Seahawks would actually kick the door wide open for the 49ers to come in and steal the top seed in the NFC. 

Which NFC team has edge for No. 1 seed? Rams lead way but six teams have real shot to rise up
Garrett Podell
Which NFC team has edge for No. 1 seed? Rams lead way but six teams have real shot to rise up

If Seattle wins, the 49ers would just need to win out to earn both the NFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Of course, winning out won't be easy, because the 49ers face a brutal schedule over the final three weeks: 

Week 16: at Colts (8-6)
Week 17: Bears (10-4)
Week 18: Seahawks (11-3)

That's a remaining strength of schedule of .690, which is tied with the Colts for the hardest in the NFL. 

There are only four teams in the NFC with 10 wins or more: The Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Bears. If the 49ers win out, they will have the head-to-head tiebreaker over both the Seahawks and the Bears. 

If the Rams were to win their final two games after losing to the Seahawks, they would be 13-4, the same record the 49ers would have if San Francisco won out. The 49ers and Rams split their season series, so the next tiebreaker would be division record and that's where the 49ers would win: They'd have a division record of 5-1 while the Rams would be 4-2. 

It's a simple path, but the oddsmakers don't seem convinced that the 49ers are going to be able to pull it off. Here are the current odds for each team to win the division heading into Thursday night: 

1. Rams (11-3): -160
2. Seahawks (11-3): +200
3. 49ers (10-4): +700

All NFL odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

If the Rams win on Thursday, they'd have the inside track to the No. 1 seed: They'd need to win out to get the top spot in the NFC (Their final two games are against the Falcons and Cardinals). With a Rams win over Seattle, the 49ers' only path to the division title and No. 1 seed would be for L.A. to go 1-1 in its final two games, but that one loss would have to be to Arizona in Week 18.