San Francisco 49ers (3-1) at Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

The Rams are 3-1, but they could be 4-0 if not for special teams miscues against the Eagles. Even with that loss taken into account, I would argue the Rams are right behind the undefeated Eagles and Bills as the third best team in the league. They lead the league in yards per play differential at +1.42 and rank 4th in first down rate differential at +4.17%. The 49ers are also 3-1 and rank 6th in yards per play differential at +0.96 and 2nd in first down rate differential at +4.85%, but they have faced a much easier schedule than the Rams.

The 49ers also come into this game much more depleted than the 49ers. Somehow the 49ers will be without their top-3 wide receivers Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and Brandon Aiyuk, their top tight end George Kittle, their starting quarterback Brock Purdy, starting left guard Ben Bartch, top edge defender Nick Bosa, and starting safety Malik Mustapha. The Rams, on the other hand, will only be missing one key player, right tackle Rob Havenstein. That gives the Rams a significant 9-point edge in my roster rankings. 

Making matters especially tough for the 49ers is that they will have to travel on a short week with so many replacement players in the lineup. Short weeks almost always favor a significantly better team at home, even in matchups between familiar division opponents. Divisional home favorites of a touchdown or more are 30-6 straight up on Thursday Night Football, as long as both teams are on short rest, winning by an average margin of 12.3 points per game and covering at a 58.3% rate. This spread opened at 3.5 and slowly crept up to 7 as bad injury news came out for the 49ers, but I don’t think the line has been moved high enough, as sportsbooks are wary of creating too big of a middle by moving this line up too high. Let’s take advantage of that with a Thursday Night Football Pick of the Week.

Week 5 Early Locked Picks: IND -6.5, DET -10

Los Angeles Rams 30 San Francisco 49ers 17

Pick against the spread: LA Rams -7

Confidence: Pick of the Week