Thanks to an inspired performance from Todd Gurley, the St. Louis Rams were able to hold off the Cleveland Browns and capture the 24-6 win on Sunday. The key now for the Rams will be trying to sustain this momentum and winning two games in a row for the first time this season when they play host to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8. Will things continue to go their way? Or will the Niners find a way to steal this one on the road?
Read on below for a full breakdown of this game. And while you’re at it, you can continue satisfying your football cravings with our other Week 8 previews: Titans at Texans and Bengals at Steelers. Enjoy.
[sc:Football ]
San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams Preview
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
When: Sunday, November 1, 1:00 PM ET
Line: San Francisco 49ers (+8) at St. Louis Rams (-8); total: 40.0– view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers (2-5)
After snapping their four-game skid in Week 6, the San Francisco 49ers were emphatically sent back down to earth on Sunday by the Seattle Seahawks, who trounced them, 20-3. The Niners couldn’t break through a formidable Seattle defense that limited them to just 142 total yards of offense.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Colin Kaepernick was a testament to their struggle. He finished the game with a mediocre 54.2 passer rating and zero touchdowns. But it would totally be unfair to put all the blame on him as the Niners’ offensive line was also horrible in this one by allowing their 27-year-old quarterback to be sacked six times. Kaepernick has now been sacked 11 times in the past three games.
Week 8, though, seems to be a more winnable matchup at least. The Niners will be going on the road to square off with the St. Louis Rams, who are averaging 108. 2 rushing yards and 243.2 passing yard per contest this season, this coming Sunday.
That being said, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, who have been the team’s top wide receivers after seven games, will surely be setting their sights on a bounce back performance. Both were consistently kept in check in their game against Seattle but have combined for 695 receiving yards with four touchdowns this season.
Running back Carlos Hyde will also be looking to make his presence felt. Hyde, who currently holds a team-best 470 rushing yards with three touchdowns, remains the Niners’ No.1 offensive threat on the ground.
San Francisco is 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in its previous 10 road games.
Betting on the St. Louis Rams (3-3)
It looks like the St. Louis Rams made good use of their bye week as they were able put themselves back in the winning column with a strong 24-6 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. They’ve now improved their record to 3-3 and are seated at the No. 2 spot in the NFC West.
A huge reason for this has been their rookie running back in Todd Gurley. Gurley heard his name being chanted by the crowd during the game versus Cleveland. He rushed for 128 yards on 19 carries along with his first two NFL touchdowns. Also, he was just a few yards short of becoming the third player in franchise history to tally three-straight 140-yard games.
However, Gurley and company will be facing a much tougher rush defense of the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 8 showdown at Edward Jones Dome. That being the case, the Rams would be smart to increase their passing plays in this game.
San Francisco—a team that ranks second-worst in the league with 292.7 passing yards given up per contest this season—could have a tough time in locking up the likes of Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin, who have combined for 327 yards on 27 receptions with four touchdowns after six games.
Of course, Nick Foles, who completed 15-of-23 passes for 163 yards without a touchdown or interception opposite the Browns, has to make the right decisions and deliver some accurate passes in order to successfully take advantage of the Niners’ shaky secondary.
St. Louis is 4-6 SU and ATS in its past 10 home games.
