The line opened for the 49ers-Rams Week 17 contest and as expected, the 49ers are heavy favorites. They opened as 10 1/2 point favorites and have moved as high as 12-point favorites with some sports books. The line did not come out until yesterday as the oddsmakers were waiting for the conclusion of the Saints game. If the Saints had lost that would have led to the 49ers potentially resting several starters. Had that happened I still think the 49ers would have been favorites, but probably not double digits.
In their previous meeting in San Francisco, the 49ers were 14 1/2 point favorites over the Rams and easily covered wth a 26-0 victory. Whether they can do that again is another question entirely. In reality I should likely presume the 49ers defense can keep the Rams down in single digits and the offense can do enough to put away a victory.
And yet, even as the 49ers keep winning, I still get a little bit anxious at the start of games, no matter the opponent. Given the 49ers struggles in recent years, and the fact that they do not blow out a ton of opponents in 2011, I guess I just continue to await bad things to a certain degree. And given how we've seen a few unexpected results across the NFL, there is just a bit of concern until the victory is reached.
Thankfully, the 49ers players do not seem to have that problem. That's just slightly more important than my own concerns so all is well in that regard. Although the team has lost some very winnable games, they have also shown an ability to bounce back, with five fourth quarter comebacks thus far. That kind of thing only builds confidence and will hopefully pay off when the the team begins its postseason campaign.