The San Francisco 49ers head on the road for their final road game, and it is fitting that they will be traveling to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. The 49ers beat the Rams in Week 1, and have not won since. The Rams won three straight after losing to the 49ers, but quickly fell back to earth. It’s a battle of two teams that just need to be off golfing at this point.
The 49ers are a 3.5-point underdog in this one. The 49ers are 2-11-1 against the spread this season, and if they fail to cover these final two games, they would become the first team (or at least join this year’s 2-12 ATS Cleveland Browns) in at least 25 years to fail to cover the spread in at least three games.
In our weekly picks at SB Nation, I did not pick the 49ers. However, I did pick the Cleveland Browns to beat the San Diego Chargers because, well, why not? However, somehow I would not be surprised if the Browns won and then the 49ers beat the Rams to cost themselves the No. 1 pick. It really feels like the cherry on top of this awful season. I know some people want to see wins, but with a shot at the No. 1 pick, it would be the final stomach punch of the regular season.
Here are some picks and predictions around the media.
SB Nation: 1 out of 8 (not me!)
ESPN: 2 out of 8
CBS Sports: 3 out of 8
USA Today: 1 out of 5
Peter Schrager, FOXSports.com: Rams 17-13
Elliott Harrison, NFL.com: Rams 17-13
Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer: 49ers 12-10
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Rams 20-10
Pro Football Talk: MDS Rams 13-10, Florio Rams 16-13