Grant Thornton Invitational Odds and Picks
December 10, 2024
NFL Week 15 Parlay Picks
December 11, 2024
The NFC West will kick off the Week 15 betting action when the Los Angeles Rams look to keep their postseason hopes alive with a win over the San Francisco 49ers. It’s been a miserable year for the 49ers, who were seen as the team to beat by everyone in the NFC before the season started. The Niners were favorites to win the NFC per the NFL odds until mid-October, despite a 2-3 record through their first five games. Bettors continued to believe in San Francisco as this team was an odds-on favorite to win the NFC West until losing to Seattle back in Week 11 to drop to 5-5.
Meanwhile, the Rams were underdogs to make the playoffs at the start of the season. Only the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers had longer odds to win the NFC after a 1-4 start, but Sean McVay was able to turn this team around after the bye week. LA has won six of its last eight games to move above .500 for the first time all season, and the Rams are coming off a big win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Caesars Sportsbook made San Francisco a field goal favorite in their lookahead lines last week. However, the Rams’ performance brought this number under 3 when the Week 15 betting lines opened on Sunday evening. The line continues to hold steady at 2.5, but the rising juice might shift the closing line back to 3. As for the total, it has slowly risen from 47.5 to 48.5 over the last few days.
Reduced juice betting is one of the best ways for any sports bettor to save money and far too many people don’t take advantage of it. If you are not playing at a sportsbook that offers reduced juice betting, then you are simply giving away money.
Bet the NFL at Caesars Sportsbook
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams NFL Same Game Parlay:
It looked like San Francisco would cruise to an easy victory over the Los Angeles Rams when these division rivals met back in Week 3. The 49ers took an early 14-0 lead thanks to two first quarter touchdown passes from Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings, and they held a 21-7 lead midway through the third quarter after Jennings’ third touchdown reception of the afternoon. However, the Rams outscored the Niners 20-3 over the last 20 minutes to pull off the upset in a game where LA was a 6.5-point home underdog on the closing NFL line.
Sean McVay has been hot and cold against San Francisco over his eight seasons coaching the Los Angeles Rams. McVay knocked off the Niners in three of his first four tries, but then the Niners won nine straight regular season games over the Rams. We have seen the Rams win the last two meetings by a total of four points, and they had to overcome a double-digit halftime deficit in both of those victories.
That gives us plenty of cause for pause when looking at betting on the Rams in this game. Still yet, the Rams have the fifth worst point differential in the conference, and they are the only team in the NFC to have a winning record even though they have a negative point differential. The defense hasn’t been nearly as reliable without all-everything defensive tackle Aaron Donald, ranking in the bottom ten in scoring defense and total defense.
However, I still like the Rams as a short underdog in this game due to their offense. Matthew Stafford has been very good since Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have both been healthy, revitalizing this offense. Stafford is coming off his best game of the season last week against a good Buffalo defense, and Kyren Williams is now over 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
Conversely, San Francisco is an injury-riddled mess. The Niners haven’t won games in consecutive weeks all season, and they are expected to be without their top three running backs as well as star left tackle Trent Williams. The defensive depth chart is full of red lettering with stars like Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, and Dre Greenlaw injured, and there are several injuries in the two-deep too.
I expect a close game that is more low scoring than the first meeting between these teams.
- SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES UNDER 48.5
- LOS ANGELES RAMS MONEYLINE
