NFL Free Pick: SF/STL
Two NFC West rivals just looking to get the season over with play in St. Louis this Sunday when the Rams host the San Francisco 49ers.
Our team of writers and handicappers break down the matchup and hand out a Free NFL Pick for Week 16.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the 49ers –5.5 point spread favorite. The over/under for this game has been set at 43.5 total points.
Key Trend: The 49ers are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games and 7-1 against the number in their last eight games when playing St. Louis. The Rams, meanwhile, are just 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games, although the last time they covered was at home against the Dolphins three weeks ago.
Key Stat: The Rams are allowing 29.8 points per game this year, while only scoring 13.5 PPG themselves. The 49ers have done a decent job against the run, limiting opponents to just 103.9 YPG this season, while the Rams have surrendered an average of 151.6 YPG in 2008.
Game Outlook: Even though they put up a fight last week against the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams are absolutely brutal. And while the 49ers aren’t much better, Mike Singletary has at least made them consistent week in and week out. Shaun Hill has done a decent job at keeping drives alive with his feet, although it’s been the San Fran defense that has been the key for the Niners since Singletary took over. They should bottle up Steven Jackson this Sunday and force Marc Bulger to try and pick them apart through the air – which he won’t be able to do. Bulger turned in a decent effort last week, but he mailed the season in months ago and is just collecting a paycheck at this point. Take the 49ers, lay the points and the under is worthy of a play as well. For the rest of our NFL Free Pick, see below.
Our Free NFL Pick for the Week 16 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams game is
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS –5.5
TheSpread.com Projected Final Score
San Francisco 49ers 21
St. Louis Rams 13
We also predict that this game will GO UNDER THE TOTAL (43.5 Sports Interaction.com) SET BY ODDSMAKERS
Posted: 12/21/08 10:00AM ET