Steve Starr
- BetOnline has the Rams as 3.5-point home favorites over the 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game
- San Francisco is 8-3 on the road this year and has six straight victories over Los Angeles.
- The winner of this rivalry game will return to SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13
Sean McVay was 45-0 as a coach with his team ahead at halftime before Week 18 when his Rams blew a 17-point second-half lead to San Francisco, allowing their hated divisional rivals to squeak into the postseason.
Having now lost six-straight to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, McVay must now defeat his former boss in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game to secure a home Super Bowl in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in two weeks.
Let’s examine the latest odds for this Championship Sunday tilt and be sure to check out the top betting sites for NFL football in 2022, as well as tips for how to wager on Super Bowl 56.
Rams vs 49ers
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| San Francisco 49ers | +3.5 (-120) | +155 | Un 46.5 (-105) |
| Los Angeles Rams | -3.5 (+100) | -175 | Ov 46.5 (-115) |
NFC Championship Game Preview
The Rams are 3.5-point favorites on Sunday despite losing six straight to San Francisco, including a 31-10 blowout in Week 10 and a 27-24 overtime loss in Week 18. Unsurprisingly, Deebo Samuel was the MVP of those Niners victories with 297 yards of total offense and four combined scores.
Matthew Stafford threw four of his NFL-leading 17 interceptions in those two losses. However, the former Lion has been sharp this postseason, racking up 568 passing yards, six total touchdowns and no turnovers in his first two career playoff victories.
Matthew Stafford came up CLUTCH when it mattered most 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kHAeO0ufOs
— PFF (@PFF) January 23, 2022
Stafford vs Jimmy G
Los Angeles almost self-combusted against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday, blowing a 27-3 third-quarter lead before Stafford delivered a clutch 44-yard strike to Cooper Kupp in the game’s final seconds. Meanwhile, San Francisco somehow defeated No. 1 seeded Green Bay without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Still, Jimmy Garappolo is on the verge of bringing his 49ers to a second Super Bowl appearance in three years. To keep him clean in the pocket, expect a heavy dose of Deebo and Elijah Mitchell. While Raheem Morris’ unit ranks top-10 against the run, Shanahan dialed up 75 run plays for 291 yards in the two regular season wins over the Rams.
Best Bets
San Francisco to win (+155 moneyline). There’s a long-held myth that it’s “hard to beat a team three times in one season,” but 14 clubs have completed the three-game sweep in 22 opportunities since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger – good for a 64% winning percentage.
San Fran should also enjoy somewhat of a home crowd this Sunday as SoFi Stadium was packed with about 70 percent Niners fans in Week 18. Stafford was sacked five times and hit 13 others in that contest – and he’s bound to be under pressure from Nick Bosa if the Rams continue to struggle in the run game.
Kyle Shanahan knows The Faithful will find a way to show up at SoFi Stadium on Sunday (via @jenniferleechan)https://t.co/rx72A4s0Zi
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 25, 2022
Bet the UNDER on 46.5 points. DeMeco Ryans’ defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to only 2.5 yards per play after halftime last Saturday – and they bottled up McVay’s offense in two meetings this season, allowing averages of 17 points and 271.5 yards.
Aaron Donald and Von Miller have been just as dominant on the other end, pressuring Tom Brady 14 times last Sunday. This is a low total for a game in sunny California that features two of the NFL’s top skill position players in Deebo Samuel and Cooper Kupp. But we expect lots of stalled drives and field goals from Matt Gay and Robbie Gould, who currently owns the NFL record for the most field goal attempts (20) without a miss in postseason history
Final Score Prediction: San Francisco 23, Rams 20.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
