The San Francisco 49ers face the St. Louis Rams this coming weekend to close out their 2015 NFL schedule. The 49ers opened as a 3.5-point underdog, and the line is ranging between that and a field goal, depending on the sportsbook you use.
If this line holds, the 49ers will have been underdogs in every single game this season. They opened the season as a field goal underdog to the Minnesota Vikings (a win that looks more and more bizarre with each passing week). They then traveled to Pittsburgh and Arizona. They returned home from two beatings to face a then unbeaten Green Bay Packers team. They did get wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons, but both games were followed by matchups with the Seattle Seahawks, so they were not going to be favored in either of those games. They followed up their win over Chicago with a road game in Cleveland, and were underdogs in that one.
The 49ers closest lines through 15 games have been 2.5-points at home against Baltimore and on the road against Cleveland. They have only been a double digit underdog once, at +14 in Seattle. They were +9.5 when they hosted the Atlanta Falcons, +8.5 in Detroit, +7.5 four times (vs. GB, @ NYG, @ STL, vs. AZ), and +7 twice (@ AZ, vs. CIN).
Had the Rams gotten beaten handily by the Seahawks, the line would have been close, but instead, it is all but assured of heading into the game with the Rams favored. From a historical perspective, it is kind of fascinating. The 49ers have been favored in at least one game each season, dating back to at least 2005. In that season, they were favorites against the Houston Texans in the final game of the regular season.