The Los Angeles Rams will look to extend their divisional lead over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night and have a chance to stay in first place if they can eke out a win. Over the last few years, the team has struggled to win on the road at Levi’s Stadium, and they have a huge opportunity to reverse that trend in primetime with the whole country tuned in.
Here are our official predictions for the Week 4 matchup, which is sure to provide some premium entertainment to get the Los Angeles’ October schedule underway:
Skyler Carlin's prediction:
The Rams and the 49ers have played some physical games in recent years and we should expect another hard-hitting showdown in Week 4 on Monday Night Football. Los Angeles ended a six-game losing streak to San Francisco in the NFC title game a season ago and signs are pointing toward them winning another matchup on Monday night.
If the Rams can limit turnovers on the offensive side of the ball, and control the clock with their ground game, they should be in a prime position to win. Los Angeles will want to put the honus on Jimmy Garoppolo to win the game with his arm as San Francisco will want to lean on its physical rushing attack.
When it’s all said and done, a low-scoring game could very well be in the cards as the Rams will make enough plays to defeat their NFC West rivals. Look for Los Angeles to escape with a 24-16 win on the road against San Francisco to improve to 3-1 on the season.
John Dillon's pick:
This game has all the makings of a close win for the Rams, and I would be surprised if the final score is decided by more than 5 points. The 49ers are a capable team led by veteran talent on both sides of the ball, and are looking to get their mojo back after a slow 1-2 start. Expect Matthew Stafford to play conservative football on offense, and for the defense to blitz quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo regularly as they look to rattle him early. Aaron Donald will need to leave his mark on the matchup, and receiver Cooper Kupp could have an opportunity to have a career day against San Francisco’s secondary. I’ll call this one 27-24 in favor of the Rams.
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