NFL forecast: 49ers to continue domination of Rams

After a 3-5 start, the San Francisco 49ers person won and covered six of their past 8 games and tin clinch a playoff spot with a triumph Sunday implicit the Los Angeles Rams.

The Niners besides could marque the postseason if New Orleans loses astatine Atlanta arsenic a 3½-point favorite.

For our purposes, we lone request San Francisco to screen arsenic a 4½-point roadworthy underdog successful an NFC West rivalry that it has dominated for the past 2 decades.

The 49ers whipped the Rams 31-10 successful Week 10 for their 5th consecutive triumph successful the series, and San Francisco has won 9 of the past 12 meetings and 23 of 33 dating to 2005.

The Niners, who person constricted their past 3 opponents to an mean of 13.3 points, person covered 4 of the past 5 meetings and are riding a 6-2 screen streak astatine Los Angeles.

San Francisco backmost Jimmy Garoppolo is questionable aft spraining a ligament successful his thumb 2 weeks agone and missing past week’s triumph implicit Houston. But helium returned to signifier this week and appears apt to start.

Take the Niners.

Four much plays (home squad successful CAPS):

Chiefs (-10½) implicit BRONCOS: Kansas City tin inactive assertion the No. 1 effect successful the AFC with a triumph implicit Denver connected Saturday and a Titans’ nonaccomplishment to the Texans connected Sunday. I’ll backmost a motivated Chiefs squad aft it blew a 14-point pb successful past week’s 34-31 nonaccomplishment astatine Cincinnati that ended an eight-game triumph streak and 6-2 screen run. Quarterback Drew Lock volition commencement for the Broncos aft getting concisely knocked retired of past week’s 34-13 nonaccomplishment to the Chargers with a enarthrosis injury. Denver has mislaid and failed to screen 3 consecutive and is connected a 4-9 dispersed descent overall. Kansas City bushed the Broncos 22-9 connected Dec. 5.

Patriots (-6) implicit DOLPHINS: New England has clinched a playoff spot and inactive has extracurricular shots astatine winning the AFC East and adjacent the AFC’s No. 1 seed. But the Patriots mostly volition beryllium focused connected staying connected way aft ending a two-game losing streak successful past week’s 50-10 rout of the Jaguars. New England besides tin avenge its 17-16 season-opening location nonaccomplishment to Miami, which has been eliminated from the postseason.

BUCCANEERS (-8) implicit Panthers: Tampa Bay is banged up, but manager Bruce Arians said he’s not resting anybody and is playing to win, arsenic the Bucs tin gain the NFC’s No. 2 effect with a triumph and a nonaccomplishment by the Rams. Since joining Tampa, Tom Brady has won each 3 meetings with Carolina by an mean of 21 points, including a 32-6 roadworthy triumph 2 weeks ago. The Panthers are connected a six-game losing streak and person mislaid 11 of their past 13 games portion going 2-11 ATS.

RAIDERS (+3) implicit Chargers: After losing 7 of 10 games, the Raiders person rallied for 3 consecutive wins to enactment themselves successful presumption to marque the playoffs with a triumph implicit their inconsistent AFC West rivals. The Chargers are 4-6 ATS arsenic favorites, losing 41-29 to the Texans 2 weeks agone arsenic 13-point chalk. The Raiders’ defence has held its past 3 foes to 15.6 points per game.

Last week: 4-1

Season: 47-38

Contact newsman Todd Dewey astatine tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 connected Twitter.