Who in the world thought we’d be looking at either Los Angeles or San Francisco making its way to the Super Bowl? Well, that’s what we have as those two teams upset both the Packers and Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round. Talk about coming up huge. In this piece, we have NFC Championship Game picks for Rams vs. 49ers on Sunday. Who will be going to the Super Bowl?
• What: NFC Championship Game
• Who: 49ers vs. Rams
• When: Sunday, Jan. 30
• Where: Santa Clara, Calif.
As you might have been able to guess, the Rams are the favorites in the NFC title game over the 49ers when they face off. Los Angeles truly did the unthinkable on Sunday in Florida, as just about everyone believed that the Bucs and Tom Brady would move on to the next round. Tampa Bay was a strong favorite, especially with the team’s defense playing so well.
Instead of that happening, though, the Rams’ offense looked outstanding early on, with quarterback Matthew Stafford leading the way. While the Bucs tied things late in the fourth quarter, Stafford was able to hit Cooper Kupp on back-to-back huge plays to set up the game-winner from Matt Gay. This game is going to be talked about for years to come.
| NFC title odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams to win | -180 | -180 | -180 | -180 |
| 49ers to win | +150 | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Under to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Meanwhile for the 49ers, no one gave them a chance to beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Was the team really going to be able to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers? They did just that in the 13-10 win. While San Francisco didn’t score an offensive touchdown, a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter, returned for a score, helped them pull off the stunner. Robbie Gould’s golden boot kicked the GW field goal as time expired.
While San Francisco has recorded back-to-back upsets, the best rated online sportsbooks think LA will move on. The Rams currently hold -180 NFL Las Vegas odds, while San Francisco has been set at +150. While it’s been a memorable postseason for San Francisco, we’re going with the Rams as our pick to win. Agree? Check out our best NFL betting sites to get a wager in.
Leading up to this highly-anticipated meeting, we’re not expecting many points from the 49ers in this one going up against the stout LA defense. While the 49ers were able to record the unreal win over the Packers, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a game to forget. He continues to show that he’s not the long-term answer for this team at the position.
In the win over Green Bay, Garoppolo finished with throwing for only 131 yards and an interception. Those are not the kind of numbers that you want to see from your starting quarterback. Matter of fact, people think that Garoppolo is the main reason why San Francisco won’t be able to keep this a close game, especially with LA’s front-seven ready to apply pressure.
When your pass-rush features guys like Aaron Donald and Von Miller, it’s going to be a long game for your offensive line. Both Donald and Miller were fantastic in the win over Tampa Bay. Miller’s midseason acquisition has been nothing short of brilliant for the Rams. Now, Miller, who long was a star for the Denver Broncos, is ready to try and get LA back to the Super Bowl.
Per the oddsmakers, the over/under for this game has been placed at 46.5 points. We believe the Rams will score early and often, with Stafford finding guys like Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. throughout this contest. However, we think it’s going to be a long day for Jimmy G and Co. Because of this, we’re going to have to go with the under to hit in the NFC title game.
Entering this showdown, wide receiver Cooper Kupp feels like a lock to score a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game. Time and time again, Kupp reminds folks of why he’s one of the best receivers in the game. He’s been so darn good for LA this year and that was once again showcased in the game against Tampa Bay and their strong defense.
Not only did Kupp record a 70-yard touchdown catch, but he also had those two grabs with less than a minute to go to set up the game-winner from Gay. On both throws, Stafford was locked in on getting Kupp the ball. Despite this being their first season together, both Stafford and Kupp have showcased an unreal amount of chemistry together on the gridiron.
We strongly believe that’s going to continue on Sunday against the 49ers. What helps Kupp is that Odell Beckham Jr. has also emerged as a great option for Stafford as well. This has been the case since OBJ made his way over from Cleveland. The odds of Kupp scoring a TD in this matchup have been set at -145. We’re picking him to score with no hesitation at all.
