Week 12 Preview: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

In an NFC West battle, the 4-6 San Francisco 49ers head to Los Angeles to take on the 7-3 Rams. After the Niners took the first matchup in Week 6, 24-16, the Rams will be looking for revenge and to stay on top of the division.

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners are still without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and elite tight end George Kittle. They have also dropped three in a row although those games were against the NFC elite. Jerick McKinnon should handle most of the running back duties today with Tevin Coleman still out. Although Raheem Mostert is slated to return, he may see his workload limited. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is also coming back for his first game action since Week 7. Kyle Shanahan will need all the help he can get as the Rams have given up the second-fewest points in the NFL.

On the defensive side, the Niners get Richard Sherman back as well. The pass defense of the 49ers has allowed the fourth-fewest yards and has only allowed two 300-yard passers all season (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rodgers). They will need to be on their game in coverage and the team leader in sacks, Kerry Hyder, will have to get to Jared Goff. We will see what kind of effect Sherman’s return has, but it definitely gives Shanahan a chance to stop Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

Los Angeles Rams

It looks like the bye two weeks ago was exactly what Sean McVay’s group needed. After an ugly loss to the Miami Dolphins where Goff turned the ball over four times (2 INTs, 2 Fumbles), the Rams bounced back. Goff has thrown for three TDs and 678 yards while completing 75 percent of his passes over the last two games. Kupp and Woods have been his main targets as expected. The combo has caught half of Goff’s completions over the past two games (33-66) and has accounted for 358 yards. While the running game hasn’t been great, Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Malcolm Brown all have over four yards per carry on the season.

The defense has been pretty tight picking off Russell Wilson and Tom Brady each twice. Darious Williams and Jordan Fuller have been a great duo this season and the main reason why the Rams have the number one passing defense in the league. Getting to the quarterback is part of that as well. Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd have combined for 16 sacks this season. Nick Mullens is going to need his head on a swivel today.

Game Info

Date: Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020
Start Time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Location: Inglewood, CA
Stadium: SoFi Stadium
TV Info: FOX

Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook

Point Spread: SF +5.5 (-110) | LAR -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: SF +205 | LAR -245
Over/Under: O 44.5 (-110) | U 44.5 (-110)

These are two very good defensive teams. The under is the way to go here. Los Angeles will certainly be looking for revenge as the Niners have taken the last three against them. Expect the Rams to beat up the 49ers and take them laying less than a TD at home.

Prediction

This will be a rough game as the Niners hope to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Rams look to take control of the NFC West. Shanahan has had McVay’s number recently but that ends today as the Rams defense is just too much for Mullens.