San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Matchup Preview (1/30/22): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Matchup Preview (1/30/22)

The NFL Divisional Round of the 2022 playoffs has been one of the most exciting weekends of football we have seen recently. The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams managed to escape the clutches of the top teams in the NFC by a hair during the last moments of the game. The 49ers pulled out a 13-10 win against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in freezing temperatures to make it to the NFC Championship game, while the Los Angeles Rams pushed past Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 30-27 victory. Both teams have managed to cause unpredictable upsets, and their matchup will be their third meeting of the 2021 NFL season. Both NFC West teams have showcased how they will not go down without a fight, so this game might trump last weekend’s excitement with ease.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Betting Odds

Since this weekend only has the two conference championships on the line, the betting odds are becoming minimal. This weekend, you’ll have to place your fate in the hands of the Rams, 49ers, Bengals, or Chiefs. In the case of the 49ers and Rams, the situation may not be as easy to navigate as you think.

The 49ers have upset the Rams twice already this season in division play during the regular season. They have taken wins that were 31-10 and 27-24, which leaves a huge spread. However, going into this weekend, the Rams are once given the favor with a spread of -3.5 (-105), and the 49ers are given +3.5 (-115). When looking at this matchup, you have to really analyze how both teams have been playing in the postseason. The 49ers have covered their last two games with the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers since they were both significant upset wins. The Rams also covered both of their spreads with a massive 34-11 win over the Arizona Cardinals and a marginal upset win of 30-27 against the Bus. When you look at the regular-season meetings between the two teams, the game came down to the interceptions thrown by Matthew Stafford. Stafford has shown considerable improvements in the postseason but struggled in the last quarter against the Bucs, which resulted in a close comeback game. The 49ers’ defense will be all over Stafford and should double cover Cooper Kupp downfield, making it harder for the Rams to make the appropriate plays in this matchup. However, I believe the talent of this Rams team is Super Bowl worthy, and the mistakes of the 49ers in the regular season might come back to bite them. 

My Prediction: Rams Win 31-28, 49ers Cover, Over 46.5

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, January 30th
Time: 1:30 PM PT
Location: SoFi Stadium – Los Angeles, California
TV Coverage: CBS/ABC/ESPN+

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Live Stream

Where can you watch San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch team 49ers vs. Rams Free Online Now.

San Francisco 49ers Analysis

The San Francisco 49ers are no strangers to the Rams’ SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. They finished out their regular season at this stadium to scrape their way into the playoffs with their 27-24 win. This time around, the tensions and pressure will be much higher. However, the team hasn’t seemed to crack against top opponents in the playoffs, so the Rams might have their work cut out for them.

Compared to their regular season stats, the 49ers’ offense doesn’t look as explosive as one would expect for a team that is entering the NFC Championship game. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has 303 passing yards in the postseason with one rushing touchdown. He has been relatively successful in the pocket with only four sacks in the postseason and has been able to find open receivers to keep plays alive. Against the Rams this year, Garoppolo has put up 498 yards against the defense, and after last week’s lacking performance on the Rams defense in the previous quarter against the Bucs, Garoppolo might have a chance to steal the show. However, his top receiver, Deebo Samuel, is questionable going into this weekend. He hurt his knee during the game against the Packers but is expected to have a return by Wednesday. Samuel is the backbone of this passing defense, and if he is not at his healthiest, Garoppolo may struggle to put up necessary passing yards.

The rush offense of the 49ers has not been affected by rigorous defenses yet this postseason. The team’s top rusher, Elijah Mitchell, has taken the ball almost 150 yards against the Cowboys and the Packers during their playoff run. The Rams have a top 10 rush defense, so the options for Mitchell may be limited, but his presence is enough to occupy the defense to hopefully free up receivers like Deebo Samuel or the tight end George Kittle downfield. The team will have to work together almost perfectly to offset the aggressive defensive line of the Rams, so quick play calls may be on the agenda for the team. The 49ers have shocked me so far this season, but I’m not confident they’ll be able to do it again.

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB1: Elijah Mitchell
RB2: Jeff Wilson Jr
WR1: Deebo Samuel
WR2: Brandon Aiyuk
WR3: Jauan Jennings
TE1: George Kittle

Los Angeles Rams Analysis

The Los Angeles Rams barely survived the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend after a three-score game ended in a three-point victory. The team began to crumble under pressure, turning the ball over on fumbles several times within the game’s most crucial moments. The Tampa Bay defense was able to get inside the heads of the team’s best players and almost ended their season. However, the Los Angeles team was able to pull out, in the end, to advance to the NFC Championship to battle their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams are hungry for their Super Bowl appearance and want to avenge their two regular-season losses from the 49ers.

Matthew Stafford has shown fantastic play during their postseason run. He has thrown for 568 yards in his two postseason games and has yet to throw an interception. His offensive line has kept him protected, only allowing three sacks. However, the 49ers have the third-best sack record in the league and will be applying immense pressure on the Rams’ QB. Stafford will need to keep his cool under the pressure and trust his receivers to do the rest for him. His accuracy has been phenomenal with his short route throws and his bombs downfield. It will be certain that he takes advantage of the league’s best receiver, Cooper Kupp, all throughout this matchup. Kupp has 244 receiving yards in this postseason after racking in over 1,900 in the regular season. Kupp has the strength and speed to dust any defenders and push for yards that are crucial to the Rams’ scoring drives. Against the 49ers, Kupp was able to push for 240 receiving yards, and he is knowledgeable on the San Francisco team’s defensive weaknesses to exploit for large gains. There is no doubt that Kupp will run the field, but he will most likely be in heavy coverage, so he will need to be creative in finding ways to make space between him and his defenders. If Kupp isn’t on his A-game, the Rams may run into some trouble.

Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart

QB: Matthew Stafford
RB1: Cam Akers
RB2: Sony Michel
WR1: Cooper Kupp
WR2: Odell Beckham Jr.
WR3: Van Jefferson
TE1: Tyler Higbee

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Daily Fantasy Picks

If you’re not putting your faith into Cooper Kupp in this matchup, I don’t know what you’re doing. He is easily the most efficient receiver in the NFL this season and has led his team to fantastic plays. His connection with his quarterback is near perfect and rarely falls through. The offensive line of the Rams will need to keep the defense at bay, so Kupp has ample opportunity to find space and create openings downfield. Kupp’s stats don’t lie; he can run through any defense. When playing the 49ers in the regular season, he had astonishing games even when the team lost. There is no beating Cooper Kupp this season, and I can’t wait to see what he can do in this matchup.