The final week of the NFL regular season is mere formality for quite a few teams as the extra 17th game on the schedule. However, the outcome of a few of this Sunday's divisional showdowns will have major implications for the upcoming playoffs.
One of those key matchups is a NFC West tilt between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers need to win or have the New Orleans Saints lose to Atlanta to secure a wild card spot. The Rams would lay claim to the division title with a win or with an Arizona Cardinals' loss to Seattle.
My lean is towards San Francisco with a straight-up victory. The 49ers are currently listed as four-point road underdogs with +180 money line odds. Given that New Orleans is favored by 3.5 points on the road against Atlanta, it appears that San Francisco will need a SU win to advance into the postseason.
You also have to take into consideration the recent betting trends between these two NFC West rivals. San Francisco has won the last five meetings SU, including a 31-10 pasting of the Rams in the first meeting this season. The 49ers closed as 3.5-point underdogs at home in that game.
My top-valued pick in this game is San Francisco SU given the highly favorable +180 return on the money line. You could also bet San Francisco plus the four points as a value play. The 49ers are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games against LA.
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