A change at the head coach position didn’t do anything for the Los Angeles Rams last week. But it was a move that needed to me made before the team fell off the landscape in the crowded Southern California market. As bad as the Rams have been this season, the San Francisco 49ers are even worse. They may not catch the Browns for the worst record in the NFL, but the Niners haven’t won a game since their season-opening victory over L.A. The teams meet up again in a Week 16 tilt.
This matchup in Week 16 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, December 24, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
San Francisco 49ers +4
Los Angeles Rams -4
Over/Under 40.5
Odds Analysis
The Rams will look to put that embarrassing season-opening loss behind them when they travelled north and were shutout 28-0 as a 2.5-point favorite. That day seems like so long ago for both clubs, especially the Niners who haven’t won a game since and are just 2-11 ATS during their 13-game losing streak. Opening as a 3-point dog, the Niners got a bulk of the early spread wagers forcing the line up a point.
Injury Report
Quinton Patton – San Francisco has had a little more success than L.A. moving the football, but not much. That ability could be compromised with the loss of Patton, the second-leading receiver, and tight end Blake Bell, who was inserted into the lineup when Vance McDonald was lost for the season.
Jared Goff – The Rams lost their quarterback to a concussion in the Seahawks game and his status is uncertain after entering the concussion protocol. Not that Goff was a savior for the offense, but if the team is going to evolve, it needs Goff behind center. Case Keenum would get the nod if Goff can’t go and he was shut down by the Niners in the season opener.
Matchup to Watch
The Rams will have an extra few days to practice under interim coach John Fassel, and while it remains to be seen if that’s good news, it can’t be any worse than the three days of preparation they had under the new regime ahead of the Seattle game last Thursday. Fassel can’t block and protect his quarterback, so it’s uncertain if anything changes with the Rams pathetic offense. L.A. ranks last in total yards and points per game, 31st in rushing yards and 29th in passing.
However, they face a Niners club that is equally bad on the defensive side of the ball and has a gaping hole in the middle of its defense. San Francisco played Atlanta without Gerald Hodges and lost fellow linebacker Nick Bellore on the first defensive series. It set in motion a series of events that took the Niners out of the game against one of the most potent attacks. The Rams have no explosion in their offense, but against the Niners the holes should be there for the running game and assortment of short passes over the middle of the field.
Free ATS Pick
There should be some extra motivation on the Los Angeles sideline for this contest. The Rams were smothered in the opener, falling 28-0 in what has been the Niners’ only win of the season. And since that first game, the Niners have gotten progressively worse and more banged up. The Rams haven’t been much better but there should be an uptick in play now that Fassel has been on the job for a week.
The Rams’ struggles on offense can be directly related to an offensive line that has done little this season. However, the Niners’ defense hasn’t stopped anyone since that first game and the starters have been dropping faster than a prom dress. This is a matchup that favors the Rams and we could actually see a Todd Gurley sighting. The Niners have stunk at stopping the run and the Rams will try to jam it down their throats. It won’t be an exciting game with both teams planning for next season, but the Rams remember that Week 1 embarrassment and that’s enough to get them a cover win.
NFL Odds: Rams 20, 49ers 13
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