It’s time to kick off Championship Weekend in the NFL Playoffs with both games being played on Sunday, January 30, 2022. In this article, I will preview the NFC Championship Game matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams with the spread, moneyline, and total.
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Plus, I’ll discuss where I’m currently leaning with my NFC Championship Game Picks.
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
Sunday at 6:30 pm ET on CBS
SF: +160
LAR: -190
Rams -3.5 (-105)
I am well aware of the 49ers dominating the Rams in recent memory, but it may be time for a shakeup en route to the Super Bowl. LA just feels like the right side, considering most teams don’t get beaten three times by one team over the course of a season.
The Rams had a true slip-up in the second half last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and almost wound up losing the game. I fully expect them to get back on track, especially motivated, in this matchup against the Rams finally. I’m not impressed by 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, and he definitely seemed to be affected by those nagging finger and shoulder injuries. Last week, the Packers were absolutely shredded in the middle of the field, so it would behoove the Rams to make sure that area.
Alternate Total: Under 47.5 Points (-135)
Speaking of that Rams defense, I believe they’ll be the catalyst in keeping this total below the alternate total of 47.5 points. Garoppolo’s injuries are a big deal, especially against a defense that will be able to get after him a bit.
While I do like the Rams to cover the 3.5-point spread, we have to be somewhat realistic about the fact that the 49ers have won six straight meetings. The majority of those games were one-score affairs that could have gone either way, including the regular-season finale that went to overtime. The Rams have scored 30+ points once during the current six-game losing streak, so even if they do figure it out, I still wouldn’t expect a huge output of points. I would imagine it takes LA some time to score touchdowns, rather than get long touchdowns.
