• Brock Purdy may struggle in the ground game: Purdy has surpassed 20.5 rushing yards in just five of his 12 starts this season, including the most recent matchup between these two teams, in which he racked up more than 40 yards on the ground. However, his latest performance above this mark came back in Week 11, prior to sustaining a shoulder injury.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers (-3) [Total: 49.5]
Game Overview
The race for the NFC West title is piping hot, with every team still in play to chase down a divisional crown. All four franchises are separated by just a pair of games, with Seattle holding onto the top spot by the thinnest of margins.
While the 49ers currently occupy the last-place slot in the division, they managed to snap a three-game slide in Week 14, sending a message that they aren’t out of it yet. However, San Francisco faces an uphill battle and has much to prove in betting markets, currently holding a 1-4 record against the spread since the start of November.
They’ll have their hands full with the Rams, who are coming off one of the most impressive upsets of the year against the Bills. That marks their second consecutive win straight up and against the spread to start December.
In these teams' most recent matchup, back in Week 3, the Rams captured victory in a fourth-quarter comeback thriller, outscoring the 49ers 13-3 in the final frame. Los Angeles notched its first cover of the year in that game — the only cover in the team's first six games.
The Rams look like a completely different team than the one we saw early in the year. Since the start of November, they lay claim to the NFL’s highest-graded offense (86.4), due in part to their success on early downs. On first and second downs over that span, the offense has averaged 6.1 yards per play (third in NFL) and generated a successful play on more than 40.9% of plays (second).
That will pose a problem for a 49ers defense that has largely struggled in recent weeks. Over that same span, San Francisco has surrendered the highest touchdown drive percentage (32.6%) in the NFL.
QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers: Under 20.5 rushing yards (-113) — 6.1% PFF Edge
Although Purdy is no stranger to taking off on a scramble, this rushing yardage line feels like an overreaction to numerous injuries in the Niners’ backfield. Purdy has surpassed this rushing total in just five of his 12 starts this season, including the most recent matchup between these two teams, in which he racked up more than 40 yards on the ground. However, his latest performance above this mark came back in Week 11, prior to sustaining a shoulder injury.
After missing Week 12, Purdy hasn’t taken off with the same enthusiasm, totaling just three scrambles for 9 yards. His injury concerns extended into this past week, when he took a nasty hit in the pocket that forced him to miss a third-down snap. Although the young passer isn’t included on this week’s injury report, the last thing head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to do is knock out his quarterback during a crucial stretch to close the year, so expect a cautious approach.
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