Preview nuts & bolts for 49ers-Rams in Week 17

We have arrived! After 16 weeks of regular season football and four weeks of preseason action, we have arrived at the final week of the 2017 regular season. Seven games wrap up in the AM slot, and then the San Francisco 49ers and 17 other teams close things down in the afternoon slot.

The 49ers close out their schedule with a road game against an old rival. The 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams, with kickoff scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT on FOX. Joe Davis and Brady Quinn call the game from the booth, with Jenny Taft serving as the sideline reporter. The game has a limited broadcast, serving most of California, and the Reno market.

The Los Angeles Rams have clinched the NFC West, and the 49ers are showing new life with Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback. It is possible this rivalry is about to get a resurgence, but it won’t happen this week. The Rams are resting numerous starters as they prepare for their wild card matchup next week. Quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, offensive linemen John Sullivan and Andrew Whitworth, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald are all expected to be healthy scratches. Additionally, wide receiver Cooper Kupp has been ruled out due to a knee injury.

The 49ers will be looking to close out the season with their fifth straight win under Jimmy Garoppolo, and sixth in seven games overall. Considering their 0-9 start, a 6-10 finish would be kind of crazy. They head into this game with serious momentum, including wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. It’s hard not to be excited about where things are headed this offseason.

For the first time all year, the 49ers injury report is empty. They’ve lost plenty of players to IR this season, and most everybody is likely at least a little sore at this point in the year, but having nobody listed as questionable or worse is a rarity. It helps explain some of their success in recent weeks beyond just Jimmy Garoppolo.

The 49ers opened this week as a 6.5-point underdog, but the rams decision to rest key starters swung the line the other way in a hurry. The 49ers are no a 3.5-point favorite at most shops tracked by Odds Shark. You can still get a field goal at a few places, but not many. I have the 49ers at -3 in my SuperContest picks.

Here is a full rundown of how to watch today’s game.

Nuts and bolts

Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Game time: Sunday, December 31, 1:25 p.m. PT
TV channel: FOX
Online streaming: NFL Game Pass
Radio: 810-AM, 107.7 (Ted Robinson, Tim Ryan) | Full listings
Spanish Radio: KTRB 860-AM (Jesus Zarate, Luis Landero)
Matchup History: 49ers lead 68-65-3
Spread: 49ers -3.5
Announcers: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Jeff Triplette
Lead Referee: Terry McAulay
Enemy blog: Turf Show Times
Twitter: @ninersnation
Facebook: Go ahead and give us a like!

Regular season schedule

Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers - 23-3 LOSS
Week 2: @ Seattle Seahawks - 12-9 LOSS
Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams - 41-39 LOSS
Week 4: @ Arizona Cardinals - 18-15 LOSS
Week 5: @ Indianapolis Colts - 26-23 LOSS
Week 6: @ Washington - 26-24 LOSS
Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys - 40-10 LOSS
Week 8: @ Philadelphia Eagles - 33-10 LOSS
Week 9: vs. Arizona Cardinals - 20-10 LOSS
Week 10: vs. New York Giants - 31-21 WIN
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks - 24-13 LOSS
Week 13: @ Chicago Bears - 15-14 WIN
Week 14: @ Houston Texans - 26-16 WIN
Week 15: vs. Tennessee Titans - 25-23 WIN
Week 16: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars - 44-33 WIN
Week 17: @ Los Angeles Rams, 1:25 p.m., FOX, Sunday, December 31