Rams vs. 49ers: Week 16 betting odds, weather and injuries
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers host the visiting Los Angeles Rams in a playoff-impacting Week 16 bout, and Niner Noise breaks down the latest betting odds, weather and injury reports.
One might understand why the San Francisco 49ers lost an uninspired, lackluster Week 15 bout to the Atlanta Falcons, although head coach Kyle Shanahan will push to get his squad back into postseason mode on Saturday night when the Los Angeles Rams come to town.
For the 8-6 Rams, their own playoff hopes are hanging by the slimmest of margins. Currently sitting in the NFC’s seventh seed and on the outside, looking in, Los Angeles all but needs to win out and get some help along the way to make the playoffs.
The Niners, meanwhile, have clinched a playoff berth already despite their Week 15 loss. But the No. 1 seed in the conference and the top spot in the NFC West remain up for grabs, and the former is surely at stake on Saturday night.
L.A. had been playing better as of late, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. But that was before head coach Sean McVay’s ugly 44-21 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.
With both teams coming off forgettable losses, Niner Noise dives into what the betting odds, weather and latest injury reports are for this prime-time contest.
Rams vs. 49ers: Week 16 Betting Odds and Lines
San Francisco currently sits as a 6.5-point favorite in this NFC West showdown, according to the Action Network, but one should keep in mind the 49ers were also double-digit favorites at home against the Falcons last week.
As far as the moneyline goes, the Action Network has the Niners at minus-275, while L.A. is at plus-240.
The over/under is set at 44.5.
Week 16 Weather
Rain has hit Northern California in recent weeks, which could make for some interesting field conditions at Levi’s Stadium. Fortunately, however, there looks to be a weekend-long dry spell, including Saturday night.
The forecast for the game calls for partly cloudy skies with a kickoff temperature of 59 degrees. There is zero chance of rain, and the winds will be south-southeasterly at seven miles per hour.
If you’re going to be in or around the south Bay Area, check to see if there are any available tickets on StubHub.
Significant 49ers Injuries
The Niners will be receiving some reinforcements this week who were unavailable in Week 15, namely cornerbacks Richard Sherman (hamstring) and K’Waun Williams (concussion). Safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) has been ruled out, however, and so has EDGE Dee Ford (quad, hamstring) and defensive tackle Jullian Taylor (elbow).
Second-year pro Marcell Harris will likely get the start in Tartt’s stead again, while San Francisco’s defensive line will have to rely more on its starting cast instead of a deep rotation with Ford and Taylor out.
Significant Rams Injuries
Los Angeles enters this bout with fewer injuries, although there are a couple of notable ones. Kicker Greg Zuerlein (quad) is listed as questionable for the contest, making this interesting:
With K Greg Zuerlein dealing with a quad injury, the Rams tried our former Cowboys K Brett Maher, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 19, 2019
The other notable injury, however, is cornerback Troy Hill (thumb) has been ruled out. Defensive back Darious Williams will start in his place, the Rams announced.
Next. Rams vs. 49ers: Week 16 preview, breakdown of NFC West bout. dark
The 49ers and Rams will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:15 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.