The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for a thrilling NFC Championship Game showdown tonight.
This NFC West affair will take center stage with a Super Bowl LVI berth on the line. It’s the third meeting between the Rams and 49ers this season, with San Francisco holding a 2-0 edge over its longstanding rival going into the contest.
Read on to find out the complete schedule, start times, viewing information and lines for both games taking place during NFL Conference Championship Sunday.
You can also check out the 2022 NFL Playoff bracket, latest Super Bowl odds courtesy FanDuel and an in-depth preview for the 49ers at Rams showdown, including key betting trends, picks against the spread and predictions on the final score.
2022 NFL Playoff Bracket
Conference Championships Schedule & Odds
AFC Championship Game: Cincinnati Bengals (12-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (14-5)
When: Sunday, January 30 | Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
Matchup: AFC No. 4 at AFC No. 2
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
Line: Chiefs -7.5, O/U 54.5
NFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers (12-7) at Los Angeles Rams (14-5)
When: Sunday, January 30 | Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Matchup: NFC No. 6 at NFC No. 3
TV: Fox | Stream: Fox Sports GO
Line: Rams -3.5, O/U 45.5
Super Bowl 2022 Odds
- Kansas City Chiefs +125
- Los Angeles Rams +210
- San Francisco 49ers +460
- Cincinnati Bengals +850
Super Bowl LVI Matchups
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams +100
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers +230
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams +480
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers +900
Rams vs. 49ers Odds
Point Spread: Rams -3.5
The line on this game has remained steady since it was first posted with the Rams laying 3.5 points.
The public is largely backing Los Angeles in the NFC Championship Game, evidenced by the home side drawing 57 percent of bets and 71 percent of the handle.
Total: Over-under 45.5
Unlike the point spread, the total on the 2022 NFC Championship Game has seen some movement since first going up on the board at 46.5 points. The over-under has dipped a full point as of Sunday afternoon.
The public is split at this number, with 64 percent of tickets coming in on the over, but only 35 percent of the cash has been wagered on that side of the total.
Moneyline: LAR -180, SF +150
Although the 49ers have had the Rams’ number in recent years, bettors can still get better than even money on the team outright winning tonight. San Francisco would return $1.50 for each $1 risked on an upset in the NFC Championship Game.
Los Angeles is a -180 favorite, meaning bettors would need to risk $1.80 to net $1 on the team advancing to Super Bowl LVI by any margin of victory.
These moneyline odds imply a 64.3 percent probability that the Rams are victorious in this contest. The Niners have a 40 percent implied probability of upsetting based on their odds. These percentages total up to more than 100 due to the “vig”, which is a cut the sportsbooks take for facilitating bets.
NFC Championship Game 2022 Preview
The Rams are back in the conference title game after a three-year hiatus. The team won it’s most recent appearance and reached the 2019 Super Bowl, but came up just short that season against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Los Angeles has spared no expense in the quest to secure the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy and first since 1999. The team went all-in on a Super Bowl this offseason, dealing multiple first-round picks to upgrade from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford at the quarterback position.
The team also swung a midseason trade for Von Miller, adding a generational pass-rusher to a defense that already featured superstars in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
The strategy has paid off thus far, as the Rams became one of the few teams to vanquish Brady in the playoffs when they knocked out the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last week’s Divisional round.
The NFC West winners and No. 4 seed now face a familiar foe with a Super Bowl LVI trip on the line, taking on the divisional rival 49ers.
The Niners have made a surprising journey through the 2022 NFL playoff bracket after a rough start to their campaign. San Francisco was just 2-4 going into Week 8, but ultimately turned things around by winning eight of its final 12 games.
Two of the 49ers’ victories came against the Rams, with that sweep of the regular season series—especially their overtime win over LA in the finale—serving as a springboard for this postseason run from the No. 6 seeding.
The 49ers have since vanquished the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in back-to-back road games to reach the NFC Championship Game, their second trip in the last three years.
The Niners won in their last visit to the conference title game, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Despite San Francisco’s successes during this playoff run and against the Rams in the regular season, the team will still be an underdog in the 2022 NFC Championship Game.
That shouldn’t bother the 49ers, as they’ve spent much of the season overcoming the odds. The 3.5-point spread on tonight’s NFC Championship matchup is the same line from each 2021 regular season meeting between the Niners and Rams. San Francisco was also a ‘dog going into those recent matchups with Dallas and Green Bay.
One would have to go all the way back to December 2018 to find the last occurrence of the Rams outright beating the 49ers. San Francisco has won six consecutive games against its NFC West rival, with three of those “W”’s occurring in LA.
The Rams may be favored, but it won’t be easy for this club to finally topple the Niners at SoFi Stadium tonight.
They’ve been attempting to cook up a better home-field advantage for this upcoming clash, limiting ticket purchases from outside the greater Los Angeles area after San Francisco fans flooded the venue in Week 18, turning it into a de facto home game for the 49ers with a playoff berth on the line.
Those fans helped will the 49ers back from a 17-0 deficit, eventually forcing overtime behind a strong defensive performance.
San Francisco has dominated the trenches when facing the Rams this year, recording seven sacks on Stafford—who was only brought down 24 times in total this year—and pressuring him in 21 times in two games.
If the Los Angeles offensive line can’t step up and keep its quarterback protected, it could result in another San Francisco Super Bowl appearance.
49ers-Rams Betting Trends
- Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers have largely dominated Sean McVay’s Rams since the two became the head coaches of their respective NFC West franchises heading into the 2017 campaign. San Francisco is 7-3 SU and ATS over 10 regular season meetings in that span.
- The 49ers are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS in their last six bouts with the Rams.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of the last six games involving these clubs.
- The underdog is 5-1 SU and 6-0 ATS across the six most recent clashes between the Rams and 49ers.
- San Francisco is one of the hottest teams in football right now. The squad has outright won and covered in six of its last seven, including SU and ATS wins in four consecutive games leading up to the 2022 NFC Championship Game.
- Los Angeles’ only loss after Week 12 came during its Week 18 defeat against the 49ers. LA is 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS since the calendar flipped to December.
- San Francisco has gone 11-8 ATS during the 2021 season and subsequent playoffs. The 49ers’ 57.9 percent cover percentage is better than the Rams’ 52.6 percent cover rate stemming from a 10-9 ATS record this year.
- The Niners have been one of the better road teams this season, going 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS as a visitor. San Francisco posted an impressive 3-1 SU and ATS record when getting points on the road.
- Los Angeles did a decent job defending its home turf this year, going 6-3 SU and 5-4 ATS. The Rams were 5-3 SU and 4-4 ATS as home chalk.
- Since 2003, visiting teams are 15-8-1 ATS when meeting a divisional rival for the third time during postseason play.
NFC Championship Game Picks & Predictions
Pick: Rams -3.5
Prediction: Rams 24 – 49ers 20
