49ers-Rams Week 3 predictions: Niners in an oddly lower-scoring victory

The San Francisco 49ers (1-1) and the Los Angeles Rams (0-2) will look to Sunday’s divisional matchup to bounce back from disappointing Week 2 losses.

The 49ers offense struggled against Brian Flores and the Vikings defense, falling 23-17 in Minnesota, but will face a Rams defense that’s allowed the second-most points through two weeks. 41 of the 67 points Los Angeles has allowed were put on them last week by Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Murray threw for three touchdowns – two to Marvin Harrison Jr. – en route to the Cardinals 41-10 win over the Rams.

While the Rams will be without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, the 49ers offense will be missing Deebo Samuel (calf) and Christian McCaffrey, who has yet to make his 2024 debut. The two teams split the 2023 series, with San Francisco winning the Week 2 clash, but Los Angeles ended the 49ers’ nine-game regular season winning streak in the series with a Week 18 win in a battle between Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz.

With Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford reprising their roles in the rivalry, the 49ers will hope to begin a new winning streak against their Southern California rival.

49ers at Rams odds, money line, over/under

Homefield advantage hasn’t been friendly to the Rams against the 49ers, and FanDuel agrees.

• Spread: 49ers (-7)
• Moneyline: 49ers (-355); Rams (+285)
• Over/under: 44.5

Predictions

Andrew Pasquini: 49ers 20, Rams 10

A low-scoring game should be expected with all the offensive firepower missing in this game. However, who do you trust more? The depleted 49ers’ offense against the Rams’ defense or the depleted Rams’ offense against the 49ers’ defense? Kyle Shanahan will look to abuse the Rams’ early-season woes against the run with plenty of Jordan Mason, and if Mason continues his form, San Francisco should have no issue controlling the ball.

Kyle Posey: 49ers 23, Rams 10

The last time the Los Angeles Rams played the 49ers in a meaningful regular season game, the Niners won 30-23 in Week 2 of last year. We’ve become accustomed to relatively high-scoring games between these two teams, and rightfully so. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are two of the brighter offensive minds in the sport and have little trouble putting points on the board.

But we won’t see the best version of these offenses in Week 3. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua are all unlikely to suit up. Those aren’t just the best players on their respective teams; they’re the best in the league in terms of their specific roles.

Despite potentially being short-handed, the 49ers still have enough firepower to move the ball up and down the field against a defense that has provided little resistance this season.

In Week 2, the Arizona Cardinals ran for over 200 yards, and Kyler Murray put on a show en route to 41 points. There were a couple of explosive plays to help make the score look more lopsided, but it was 24-3 at halftime, and the game was all but over by then.

Brandon Aiyuk is in the perfect spot to have his “break out” game to start the year. Marvin Harris Jr. had 130 yards for four receptions and a pair of touchdowns against the Rams secondary in Week 2. In Week 1, Jameson Williams had 121 yards on five receptions for a touchdown. Williams and Harrison Jr. had 50+ yard receptions.

You’re up, Aiyuk.

Jason Aponte: 49ers 27, Rams 17

This game is literally the “Walking Wounded.” Sean McVay is the perfect coach to navigate the losses on offense and defense to put together a game plan. However, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers have enough (even if George Kittle misses the game) to win this divisional matchup.

I expect this to be a big, big Jordan Mason game with the Rams’ run defense at the bottom of the league. Twenty-plus carries are in the cards for Mason. Shanahan talked about his lack of play action usage, and attributed it to the defensive looks and teams. The Rams are at the bottom of the league in two-high safety looks, there will be play-action opportunities for Brock Purdy on Sunday.

To simplify, control the clock running the football. Be careful with the football, and the 49ers leave with a win in SoFi.

Rohan Chakravarthi: 49ers 27, Rams 13

The 49ers and Rams both come into this game depleted, with the former missing Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and potentially George Kittle, while the latter are down a number of starters, including wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

Ultimately, this is a game where the 49ers should rebound. Yes, it’s on the road, but San Francisco always trends well against the Rams, both with their fans and their results.

While San Francisco may be missing some of their top pass catchers, they have a huge advantage on the ground, as the Rams are allowing nearly 200 rushing yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. That screams Jordan Mason to me, although the amount of runs the 49ers deploy may cut down the overall score.

Ultimately, I don’t see the Rams having much offensive success behind their offensive line, even with Alaric Jackson returning at left tackle, and I think the 49ers come out comfortably here.