San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams: Spread Info, Line and Predictions

The San Francisco 49ers hit the road for one final division game, and they're hoping a win over the St. Louis Rams will help lead them to the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. 

There's a chance the 49ers decide to rest some players in the game, but that will likely depend on how the game is going. A blowout type lead means head coach Jim Harbaugh won't have to think twice about benching his starters for a good portion of the game. 

The Rams, on the other hand, don't have much to fight for. Well, besides fighting towards a win that is. A loss increases their chances of getting the No. 1 overall pick, which would make things very interesting come draft time. 

With that said, let's take a look at some specifics of this NFC West showdown. 

When: Sunday, Jan 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET 

Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO

Watch: FOX 

Spread 

According to vegasinsder.com, the 49ers are favored at minus-10.5, and while that may seem like a lot of points, they should have no trouble covering. The first time these two teams met, the 49ers won 26-0, and while I don't see another shutout, covering the spread is a a lock. 

Over/Under 

According to vegasinsder.com, the over/under is set at 34, which may seem low. However, the Rams have averaged just 6.5 in their last four games. The 49ers defense is going to shut down the Rams and prevent them from scoring much. 

With that said, the Rams will manage some points, and the 49ers will score enough to push the total over 33.5.

Key Injuries 

*According to CBSSports.com 

San Francisco 

LB Patrick Willis (hamstring): Questionable 

CB Chris Culliver (shoulder): Questionable 

WR Ted Ginn Jr. (ankle): Questionable 

CB Carlos Rogers (knee): Questionable 

St. Louis 

QB Sam Bradford (ankle): Questionable 

QB A.J. Feeley (right thumb): Questionable 

DE Chris Long (ankle): Questionable 

CB Josh Gordy (oblique): Questionable 

Fantasy Big Plays 

Frank Gore is the sure-fire fantasy lock in this game, despite not scoring a touchdown when these two teams went head-to-head earlier this year. 

The 49ers top running back has scored a touchdown in his last three games though, and he won't have much trouble against the worst run defense in the league. The Rams give up and average 155 rushing yards per game, and they're not all of the sudden going to shut down a running back in the final game of the year. 

More solid fantasy plays in this game are Michael Crabtree and David Akers. Crabtree is a good flex option, and Akers has been the top fantasy kicker this season. He set an NFL-record with 42 field goals on the year, and he'll likely add to that total this Sunday. 

Steven Jackson needs to be on your bench because the 49ers run defense will continue their success against opposing running backs. They've only given up one rushing touchdown on the year, and in their previous meeting they held Jackson to only 19 yards rushing. 

Keys to San Francisco Win 

The 49ers need to let Gore go to work and keep up their stout defensive play. They shutout the Rams before, and they're very capable of doing it again. 

St. Louis doesn't have much offensive production aside from Jackson, and San Francisco will key in on him to prevent the Rams from having much success. 

Keys to St. Louis Win 

If the Rams are able to work the ground and pound, well then they have a shot at winning. Unfortunately, the 49ers excel at stopping the run, which means that other players must step up.

It's the last game of the season and even though there might be little motivation to win because of how horrible this season has been, the Rams need to show up and prove they're a quality NFL team. 

Prediction 

The 49ers won't have any problems winning this game. The Rams aren't a very good football team, and San Francisco continues to prove their doubters wrong by dominating nearly every team in its path. 

San Francisco 27, Rams 10