49ers-Rams spread swings with word of resting players

The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Los Angeles Rams this weekend, and unfortunately, we will not get to see the best the Rams have to offer. The team is locked into the third or fourth seed and is electing to rest some key starters. That group is expected to include QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley, OL Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan, and DT Aaron Donald.

This decision has caused a significant change in the betting line for Week 17. The 49ers opened on Sunday night as a 6.5-point underdog. Once initial reports came out of the Rams plans to rest players, the line started dropping. When McVay made it official and the list of players was made available, the line swung to the 49ers favored by between 2.5 and 3.5 points, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. This now marks the second time this season the 49ers are favored in a game. They were also favored at home against the Tennessee Titans.

If you got in on the 49ers at +6.5, congrats! If not, the 2.5-point spread is still a solid one to grab. A field goal or higher is a little less ideal, even with the Rams resting so many players. I think the 49ers can win this by upwards of double digits, but divisional games are always a little tougher to figure.