49ers vs Rams Prediction & Picks: NFL Week 1

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams close the Week 1 slate in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, with the Rams the designated home team laying 3.5 and the total set at 48. On NFL Picks Week 1 (Ep. 2680), Sean Green and Ryan Kramer broke down the international opener and both ended up on the same side.

49ers vs Rams Odds

The Rams are laying 3.5 as the designated home side, with the total sitting at 48. On the moneyline the show had the Rams at -215 and the 49ers at +185. The guys flagged that the number never really moved off 3.5 despite some talk it might climb toward 4, and noted the Rams were the side getting the public money.

Our Picks

Both hosts are on the same side. Ryan Kramer (@KramerCentric) took the San Francisco 49ers +3.5, and Sean Green (@SeanTGreen) also took the San Francisco 49ers +3.5, grabbing the road dog in a neutral-site division game halfway around the world.

The guys built the case around history and travel. In games between Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, the underdog is 13-2 ATS since 2019, and that includes the Rams covering as a favorite in San Francisco last year. Week 1 division dogs have hit at roughly 58% since 2003. On top of that, the 49ers flew out early to get acclimated while the Rams showed up late off a punishing trip of more than 30 hours in the air, over 15,000 miles, and seven time zones. There was plenty of injury noise on both sides, from Nick Bosa working back off a torn ACL to a banged-up Rams receiving group, and the guys made the point that Shanahan tends to thrive in exactly these messy, shorthanded spots. Add in how sloppy international games can get, and taking the points felt like the play. Ryan noted this was one he had already bet.

Want the rest of the Week 1 card? Listen to the full episode, NFL Picks Week 1 (Ep. 2680), on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Grab every SGPN bonus and link at sg.pn/links.