NFC Championship Game Betting Preview

The NFC championship game is an all-NFC West affair this year, as the Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.

At Bovada Sportsbook, Los Angeles is a 3.5-point favorite. The Rams return to the NFC championship game for the first time since 2019 when they edged the New Orleans Saints 26-23 as a 3-point underdog.

Rams favored by 3.5 points over 49ers in NFC title game

The Rams advanced this season by getting past the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27 as a 2.5-point underdog in the divisional round. In their last eight games, they are 7-1 straight up and 6-2 against the spread. When favored, they’re 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in their last six.

In the playoffs, Los Angeles is 5-2 SU and ATS in its last seven games. At home in the playoffs, the Rams are a solid 7-2 SU and 5-4 ATS in their last nine games.

The 49ers’ last appearance in the NFC title game came in 2020 when they defeated the Green Bay Packers 37-20 as an 8-point home favorite. The 49ers also defeated the top-seeded Packers last week in the divisional round, delivering a 13-10 upset as 6-point underdogs.

Niners defeated Rams twice this season in underdog role

San Francisco has won four straight both SU and ATS, and is 9-2 SU and ATS in the last 11 games. The 49ers have been a profitable UNDER pick for totals bettors recently with a 6-1 UNDER record in their last seven. On the road, they’re 9-3 SU and 8-4 ATS in their last 12, and as an underdog they’ve won four straight and posted a 7-1 ATS record in their last eight.

In the playoffs, the 49ers are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five, and they’re 7-1 UNDER in their last eight. They’ve won both games this season as a playoff underdog, but in their previous 10 games as an underdog in the postseason, they were 1-9 SU and 2-8 ATS.

As divisional foes, the Rams and 49ers met up twice this season. In Week 10, the 49ers defeated the Rams 31-10 as a 3.5-point home underdog. In the rematch in Week 18, San Francisco won 27-24 as a 3.5-point road underdog. Overall, the 49ers have won six straight against the Rams with a 5-1 ATS record. In their last nine road games against the Rams, the 49ers are 7-2 SU and ATS.

In the last four NFC championship games, the favorite is 1-3 SU and ATS.