This season’s NFC championship game comes down to an NFC West grudge match when the Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon/evening at SoFi Stadium. LA just survived a wild Tampa Bay comeback last week while San Francisco survived the cold and the Packers in Green Bay. Now, these teams meet for the 146 the time, although, for just the second time in the postseason, the Joe Montana Niners beat the Rams in the 1990 NFC championship game 30-3.
LA is favored by three and a hook for Sunday, but San Francisco owns a six-game series winning streak. How are we playing this NFC championship game with our free NFL betting pick?
NFC Championship Game Betting Lines
The NFL postseason betting odds opened the Rams as a four-point favorite over the 49ers, with an over/under of right around 47. Early betting action then dipped that spread to 3.5 and that total to 46.
According to Sagarin’s ratings at sagarin.com, LA should only be favored by 2.5 points for this match-up.
49ers-Rams NFC Championship Game Betting Preview
San Francisco reached this NFC championship game by bumping off the top-seeded Packers in a divisional-round bout at Lambeau Field last weekend 13-10. The 49ers spotted Green Bay an early touchdown, trailed 7-0 at the half and 10-3 late into the fourth quarter. But San Francisco tied the game on a blocked punt returned for a score with five minutes left, then won it on a 45- yard Gould field goal at the buzzer. The 49ers got out-gained by the Packers 263-212 but won the ground battle 106-67, used a 45- yard kick-off return to set up a field goal and blocked two kicks. Two weeks ago, San Francisco out-rushed Dallas 169-77 in beating the Cowboys in a wild-card game 23-17. So the Niners have out-rushed six of their last seven opponents, going 6-1 both SU and ATS in the process. Los Angeles, meanwhile, reached this NFC title tilt by out-lasting the Buccaneers in Tampa in a divisional-round game last week 30-27. The Rams, playing as three-point underdogs, scored the first 10 points of the game and led 20-3 at the half. LA then scored the first seven points of the second half to go up by 24, only to allow the Bucs to roar back and tie the game at 27-27 with 40 seconds left. But the Rams then got two huge Stafford completions to set up Matt Gay’s game-winning field goal at the buzzer. Los Angeles out-gained Tampa Bay 428-359 and won the time of possession by a 34:26 split. But the Rams also lost four fumbles and nearly blew the game. Two weeks ago, LA held Arizona to just 183 yards of total offense in a 34-11 wild-card victory. So stretching back into the regular season, the Rams are 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS over their last eight games.
49ers-Rams Recent History
San Francisco owns a six-game winning streak over rival Los Angeles, going 5-1 ATS along the way. The 49ers swept the two games from the Rams this season by scores of 31-10 and 27-24 in overtime.
San Francisco out-gained and out-rushed LA in both those meetings this season and won both games outright as a 3.5-point underdog.
- Get more details: San Francisco at LA Rams NFC Championship Betting Stats
NFL Playoffs Betting Trends
The 49ers are 6-4, both SU and ATS this season against teams that made the playoffs. The Rams are 4-5, both SU and ATS against teams that made the playoffs this season. So far this NFL postseason, the home teams are 6-4, both SU and ATS. So far this NFL postseason, the favorites are 6-4, both SU and ATS. Over the last six NFL conference championship rounds, the home teams are 9-3 SU 8-4 ATS.
Totals Report
- The Under is 11-8 in 49ers games this season, which are averaging 47 total points.
- The overs are 10-8-1 in Rams games this season, which are averaging 49 points.
- The Under is 3-1 over the last four meetings between these two teams.
- The Under is 6-4 this NFL postseason.
- Over the last six NFL conference championship rounds, the overs are 9-3.
