Our NFL experts give their picks for Week 5's Thursday night primetime showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams!
It's now back-to-back weeks that the NFC West division hosted a Thursday night game. This time around, it's a battle for the division lead as both teams enter the game 3-1.
The San Francisco 49ers are on the road against the Los Angeles Rams, who carry a 8.5-point favourite with the over-under set at 43.5. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is 1-18 when he's at least a six-point underdog.
Game breakdown
Both the 49ers and Rams are heading into this game with top-five offences. However, neither team ranks in the top 10 in scoring (Rams - 13th, 49ers - 23rd).
Each team also boasts a top-10 defence. Los Angeles has put up the second-most sacks (14) this season and the fourth-most turnovers (7).
The 49ers, on the other hand, are more so the opposite. They're in the bottom five in sacks (5) and are in the bottom half of the league in forced turnovers (3).
That being said, the 49ers have only allowed, on average, 172.5 passing yards this season, which ranks fifth - a key point going up against a Rams offence that ranks third in passing (just behind San Fran).
LA has yet to have a single rusher eclipse 100 yards, but they have, as a team, put up at least 100 yards on the ground in three of their four games.
And they're going up against a 49ers front seven that has allowed at least 100 combined rushing yards in three of their four games.
For a 49ers offence that has thrown for at least 270 yards in all four games, the Rams defence has yet to let up a quarterback throw for more than 270 on them, meaning that a passing battle could be seen on Thursday night.
As for injury reports...
The injury bug strikes the 49ers yet again this week, as starting quarterback Brock Purdy will be sidelined alongside wide receivers Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Jordan Watkins.
Defensive lineman Robert Beal Jr. will also be out with edge rusher Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle, both of whom were placed on the injured reserve.
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee and offensive tackle Rob Havenstein did not practice on Monday and Tuesday, but have not had an injury designation for the game yet.
Now, let's get into our experts' picks!
Eric: Rams 30-20 49ers
Since their lowly 14-9 win over the Houston Texans in Week 1, the Rams have yet to score less than 25 points this season. They're 2-0 at home running with one of the best offences in the league.
San Fran succeeded with Mac Jones at quarterback in Week 2 and Week 3, but I wouldn't call the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals the toughest opponents.
Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua are two of our top five MVP candidates heading into the new week for a reason. I don't see the 49ers stopping that offence. They'll stay in the game because of Mac Jones and Christian McCaffrey, but the defence will fail to create enough stops to put them in a winning position.
The Rams' defence, on the other hand, will look to feast tonight.
Henri: Rams 34-14 49ers
After the Rams prevailed in a memorable game against the Colts, they are now brimming with confidence as they take on the injury-plagued 49ers.
Given LA's current form, this should be a clear-cut victory with the 49ers missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy this week. Nothing more needs to be said.
Paul: Rams 27-14 49ers
The Rams are on a roll, despite that painful Week 3 loss against Philadelphia. Their run defence, despite ranking 13th, held the NFL's leading rusher in Jonathan Taylor to 76 yards last week.
Matthew Stafford is playing his best football since the Rams’ triumphant 2021 season. Not to mention he's got an MVP candidate in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as his No. 2.
Despite the 49ers' stellar pass defence, it'll be too much in the end. The 49ers are dealing with injury woes more than any team and are in for a possible disaster this week.
Kyle Shanahan once had Sean McVay’s number, but the latter is going to extend his win streak over the Rams’ SoCal rivals to four games. Give me Konata Mumpfield’s Rams!
Miguel: Rams 23-10 49ers
It will be very difficult for the San Francisco 49ers, hit by significant injuries, to secure a victory against the Rams, who are probably enjoying their finest hour since winning the Super Bowl in 2022.
Currently, everything is working well for Sean McVay’s team. They defend well, attack better, and enjoy the privilege of having Matthew Stafford, one of the best quarterbacks of the last decade, at the centre of operations.
He and Nacua both are MVP candidates right now, connecting on all cylinders.