NFC West 49ers and Rams 2024 NFL Schedules, Odds and Picks

Previews and betting tips for the 2024 NFL season – 49ers and Rams

The 2024 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader starting Sept. 5 with the full Week 1 Sunday schedule Sept. 8. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 46.5) host the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5 in an AFC playoff rematch with those two teams the AFC favorites to reach Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. The 49ers and Rams are the two favorites to win the NFC West after the San Francisco 49ers made it to the Super Bowl last season before falling in overtime to the Chiefs. The Los Angeles Rams made the playoffs with 10 wins, bouncing back from a 5-win season in 2022 just one season after winning the Super Bowl.

NFL Week 1 Matchups And Odds

But as training camp continues and football and fantasy fans get the juices flowing ahead of the 2024 NFL season, sports bettors are pouring through the teams schedules, rosters, stats, odds, futures and props and making bets at leading online sportsbooks. That includes on the AFC and NFC teams with the NFC West 49ers and Rams NFC contenders to start the season.

NFC West – Seahawks and Cardinals

Football odds from leading online sportsbooks refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on NFC West 49ers and Rams props and live betting.

San Francisco 49ers 

Season Win Total: 11.5 (Under -140) – Bet Under
Division Odds: -175 / AFC Odds: +260 / Super Bowl Odds: +650
Record Last 2 Years: 12-5, 13-4
Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan (8th season)

49ers Schedule, Odds and Props 

Division games and advance point spreads (DraftKings)

Week 3 at Los Angeles Rams (SF -3 / 48)
Week 5 Arizona Cardinals (SF -9.5 / 47)
Week 6 at Seattle Seahawks (SF -5 / 46.5) Thursday
Week 11 Seattle Seahawks (SF – / 45.5)
Week 15 Los Angeles Rams (SF -6.5 / 47)
Week 18 at Arizona Cardinal (SF -4 / 43)

Other Key Games
Week 1 New York Jets (SF -5 / 44.5) MNF
Week 7 Kansas City Chiefs (SF -1 / 48)
Week 8 Dallas Cowboys (SF -5.5 / 47.5) SNF
Week 12 at Green Bay (SF -2.5 / 47)
Week 13 at Buffalo Bills (SF -2 / 47) SNF
Week 16 at Miami Dolphins (SF -1 / 49)
Week 17 Detroit Lions (SF -4.5 / 49.5) MNF

Bye: Week 9

Home: Arizona, Seattle, San Francisco, Buffalo, Green Bay, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Las Vegas
Away: Arizona, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, New England, NY Jets, New Orleans

Key Player Props (regular season at BetOnline)

QB Brock Purdy – O/U 3900.5 Passing Yards / 28.5 Passing TD’s / 10.5 INT
RB Christian McCaffrey – O/U 1,150.5 Rushing Yards / 10.5 Rushing TD’s / 500 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TDs
WR Deebo Samuel – O/U 850.5 Rec Yards / 60.5 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TD’s
TE George Kittle – O/U 775.5 Receiving Yards / 60.5 Receptions / 5.5 Rec TDs
DE Leonard Floyd – O/U 9.5 Sacks / LB Fred Warner 125.5 Tackles & Assists
DE Nick Bosa – O/U 12.5 Sacks and 52.5 Tackles & Assists

Stats and Notes (check back ahead of season for more betting notes). NFC West 49ers and Rams Handicapping and research includes sources and stats from beat writers, team sites and press notes, bettors and newsletters or betting guides like VSiN, Sharp Football, Playbook, CleveAnalytics, ESPN Stats & Info and more including FairwayJay’s proprietary data base and stats.

The 49ers remain the top team in the NFC, but it will be a big challenge to return to the NFC championship or Super Bowl again. San Francisco drew a most difficult schedule in terms of rest, as the Niners play 8 games at a rest disadvantage compared to their respective opponents. The 32 days of negative rest disadvantage is the most for any team the past decade. The 49ers play the Chiefs, Bills, Cowboys and Seahawks all coming off their bye week. The NFL schedule maker really fkd the Niners, who are also +32 in net turnovers the past two seasons – tops in the league. The 49ers organization has more than overcome the huge gaffe drafting QB Trey Lance in No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft (since dealt to Dallas). The 7th round QB that year was Brock Purdy, who simply was the sub-even money favorite to win the MVP with last season with 3 weeks remaining in the season. He didn’t win, but made it to the Super Bowl and had the Niners in position to win. Purdy’s 9.6 yards per pass attempt ranked as 3rd highest in NFL history and the highest since Kurt Warner in 2000. In the 13 games where LT Trent Williams, Christian McCaffery and WR Deebo Samuel were in the lineup, SF’s offense scored 30+ points nine times. With dynamic playmakers in RB McCaffrey and WR’s Samuel and Aiyuk complimented by TE Kittle, the 49ers offense should be solid again if their No. 24 ranked offensive line by PFF (No. 16 Sharp Football) can play better around future HOF Trent Williams. Sharp Football ranks the RB and WR units No. 1 in the NFL for the 49ers, and DL No. 2 along with head coach Kyle Shanahan, who I’ve always liked.

The Niners rushing attack avereage 140 yards per game last season to rank No. 3 in the league, but best without a running quarterback (BAL, CHI). Shanahan is creative in his schemes, play calling and the 49ers use a lot of pre-snap motion and also ranked top-2 in the league passing out of heavy sets, percentage of pass attempts to gain 20+ yards (16%) and deep passing attempts. The 49ers play tougher pass defenses this season losing 3-of-4 games last season vs. top-10 pass defense. The Niners dominant defense also helped San Fran only play in three one-score games last season, but now they have more turnover in the front seven. Shanahan fired DC Steve Wilks and promoted Nick Sorensen to coordinate the talented defense. Sharp football rates the 49ers schedule of offenses as 4th hardest with 7 teams top-10 and two of them twice. The Niners roster may still be too talented to get knocked off the top spot in the NFC West, but a win total of 11.5 will be tough to exceed with terrible schedule situations and if they suffer more key injuries. Especially if QB Brock Purdy misses time with Josh Dobbs and Brandon Allen as backups.

Pro Football Focus Offensive Line Rankings Entering 2024 Season (49ers No. 24, Rams No. 16)

Betting: History shows Super Bowl losers dropoff, as out of the last 23 Super Bowl runners-up, 15 have gone under their win total the next season with two pushes. These teams on average have won just 9.3 games vs a win total of 10.6, and it’s worse if you exclude QB’s Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

FairwayJay has been a top of the leaderboard point spread prognosticator with 57% ATS success posting his NFL underdog picks weekly the past 7 years. That includes an unmatched 70% season in 2021 going 28-12 ATS. His previous NFL handicapping, strategics and sports betting success included 8 straight winning NFL seasons (57.3% ATS) starting in 2003 while independently documented and a professional handicapper including 52-28 ATS (65%) bursting onto the national scene his rookie year (feature Las Vegas Sun). FairwayJay provided weekly insight on a most popular daily sports betting and handicapping radio show heard in Las Vegas and nationwide on SiriusXM radio.

FairwayJay’s NFL handicapping contest success includes back-t0-back 60% seasons and top 6% finishes in the Westgate SuperContest.

Los Angeles Rams 

Season Win Total: (8.5 Over -155) – Bet Under 9
Division Odds: +325 / AFC Odds: +1600 / Super Bowl Odds: +2800
Record Last 2 Years: 10-7, 5-12
Head Coach: Sean McVay (8th year)

Rams Schedule, Odds and Props

Division games 
Week 2 at Arizona Cardinals (LAR -2 / 48.5) SNF
Week 3 San Francisco 49ers (LAR +3 / 48)
Week 9 at Seattle Seahawks (LAR -1.5 / 46.5)
Week 15 at San Francisco 49ers (LAR +6.5 / 47) Thurs
Week 17 Arizona Cardinals (LAR -6 / 48)
Week 18 Seattle Seahawks (LAR -5.5 / 47)

Other Key Games
Week 1 at Detroit Lions (LAR +3.5 / 51) SNF
Week 5 Green Bay Packers (LAR -1.5 / 48.5)
Week 8 Minnesota Vikings (LAR -3.5 / 45.5) Thurs
Week 10 Miami Dolphins (LAR -1 / 47.5) MNF
Week 12 Philadelphia Eagles (LAR -0.5 / 47.5) SNF
Week 14 Buffalo Bills (LAR +1 / 48) SNF
Week 16 at New York Jets (LAR +3 / 47.5)

Bye: Week 6

Key Player Props (BetOnline)

QB Matthew Stafford – update as available
RB  Kyren Williams – update as available
WR Cooper Kupp – O/U 950.5 Rec Yards / 80.5 Rec Yards / 6.5 TD’s
LB Earnest Jones – O/U 135.5 Tackles & Assists

Stats and Notes – The Rams move on following 10 wins and a playoff appearance without future HOF defensive tackle Aaron Donald (retired). The Rams defense was No. 21 in EPA last season, but rookie DL Kobie Turner and Bryant Young played superb generating nearly 100 pressures and 19 sacks. So did rookie WR Puka Nacua, who was the NFC’s top rookie and had 105 receptions and nearly 1,500 receiving yards to help the Rams fly over their 6.5 season win total. Running back Kyren Williams led the NFL with 95.3 rushing yards per game. He was also No. 2 in EPA per rush and success rate going against the easiest schedule of run defenses last season. The Rams also had the lowest number of adjusted games lost due to injury on defense and the 4th lowest on offense last season and lost just seven fumbles on offense – second-lowest in the league. They won 10 games despite having the worst-ranked special teams units and also missed 11 field goals – the most for a team since 2015. The Rams generated the 6th worst special teams by DVOA in NFL history, and had terrible punt and kickoff returns. The Los Angeles defense was sub-par last season allowing 338 yards per game, and now their front seven ranks in the bottom quartile of the league and the secondary is not much better. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is a $50 million cap hit on the team, and he’ll need to perform his best and stay healthy and upright passing to his top targets Nacua and Cooper Kupp. That’s because the Rams face a most difficult schedule of opposing pass defenses with seven-straight games vs. top-11 pass defenses from last year starting in Week 3.

Betting: The Rams lost 5 games as a betting favorite last season, but still made the playoffs with 10 wins. That’s rare, as NFL teams have lost an average of just over 3 games per season as favorites since 1990. Good health, overachieving and major contributions from rookies saw the Rams make a major jump last season from 2022. Watch how the offensive line performs early season. I don’t see 10 in any way, 9 is unlikely too with a more likely 2-4 game drop from last year’s 10 wins a bet.

You can bet on it.

NFC West 49ers and Rams originally posted at OSGA on Aug. 16.