49ers vs Rams Pick and Preview: Week 8

Posted on October 28, 2022

San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams Pick and Preview

NFC West Divisional Matchup

Point Spread: Rams +1.5 | Total Points: 42.5

As the 49ers prepare for their NFC West matchup against Los Angeles, they have an overall record of 3-4 and are in the midst of 2 game losing streak. Heading into week 8, the 49ers will look to get back in the win column, as they are coming off a 44-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco lost the game by more than anticipated, as the oddsmakers placed San Francisco as 1.0 point underdogs. By the end of the game, the teams combined for 67 points, surpassing the betting line of 49.

Leading into their week 8 NFC West matchup against Los Angeles, the Rams have an overall record of 3-3. In their previous game, they picked up 14 point victory over the Carolina Panthers (24-10). In addition to winning straight up, the team covered the spread as -10.0 point favorites. Together, the two teams combined score remained below the over-under betting line of 41.

49ers vs Rams History

The last time these two teams played came back in week 4, where the 49ers won by a score 24-9 win over the Rams. San Francisco benefited from executing well on third down in this game, as they finished with a 3rd down conversion rate of 41.7%. In their 15-point win, the 49ers also covered the spread. The team entered the game as 1.5-point favorites. The two team’s offense’s combined to score 33 points. This figure was below the over-under betting line of 42.0.

In the last 3 head-to-head matchups, the 49ers are averaging 22 points per game, compared to the Rams at 17. These figures have led to San Francisco posting a record of 2-1. Los Angeles will look to do a better job at home in this series, as across their 3 most recent home games vs San Francisco, they are just 0-3. In terms of betting, San Francisco holds a recent edge vs the spread, going 5-0 in the previous 5 meetings.

Notable Injuries

San Francisco 49ers

Arik Armstead (Ankle) Questionable
Dre Greenlaw (Calf) Questionable
Kyle Juszczyk (Finger) Questionable
Jason Verrett (Knee) Questionable
Samson Ebukam (Ankle/foot) Questionable
Deebo Samuel (Hamstring) Questionable
Jauan Jennings (Hamstring) Questionable

Los Angeles Rams

Kyren Williams (Ankle) Questionable
Quentin Lake (Knee) Questionable
Brandon Powell (Ankle) Questionable
Darrell Henderson Jr. (Illness) Questionable
Van Jefferson (Knee) Questionable
Cam Akers (Personal) Doubtful
Travin Howard (Groin) Questionable
Brian Allen (Knee) Questionable
Troy Hill (Groin) Questionable

Keys To Victory: San Francisco 49ers

On offense, the 49ers come into the game ranked 20th in the NFL at 20.71 points per game. Even though San Francisco profiles as an average scoring offense, their strong defensive play has led an average scoring margin of 1.71 points per game.

On offense, the 49er’s lack of passing production can’t be attributed to poor offensive line play, as they are allowing just 2 sacks per game. At the quarterback position, Jimmy Garoppolo has completed 64.3% of his passes, leading to a total of 1456 yards. So far, the team’s top receiving threat has been Brandon Aiyuk, who comes into the game with 402 receiving yards. For the season, he has been the recipient of 34.0% of the pass attempts to wide receivers.

One problem for this year’s San Francisco offense is their lack of production in the run game. Per attempt, the team is averaging just 4.5 yards. Overall, they are the 15th-ranked team in rush yards per game. So far, the team’s leading rusher is Jeff Wilson Jr, who, through 7 games, has rushed for a total of 454 yards on the ground.

Keys To Victory: Los Angeles Rams

This season, the Rams have had their problems on offense, as through 6 games, they are averaging just 17.33 points per game. The team’s lackluster offense has contributed 45.0% of the scoring in their games, leading to an average point differential of -3.67.

However, they have been able to move the ball through the air, as not only are they among the league leaders in yards per game, but they have also been efficient with their attempts. This season, they are ranked 2nd in passing completion percentage at 70.9%. For the year, Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for a total of 1576 passing yards on a passer rating of 84.6. In week 8, Stafford is a candidate for a strong performance vs a secondary that can be taken advantage of through the air. So far, the team’s top receiving threat has been Cooper Kupp, who comes into the game with 607 receiving yards. For the season, he has been the recipient of 50.0% of the pass attempts to wide receivers.

If the Rams are going to turn things around on offense, they would benefit from improving their numbers on the ground. So far, Los Angeles is ranked just 31st in attempts and 31st in yards. An area of concern for the Rams will be if their top running back Darrell Henderson Jr. is able to play, as he is listed as questionable on the injury report. This year, Henderson Jr. has rushed 181 yards while averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.