NFL Picks: St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Added on Nov 13, 2010 by Jack Thurman in

NFL

Week 10 NFL betting action pits the rebuilding St. Louis Rams against the disappointing San Francisco 49ers. The Niners were expected to challenge for the NFC West title but have underachieved in the early part of the season and enter the game at 2-6 SU. The Rams are 4-4 and have already won more games this season than in the previous two years combined.

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers
November 14, 2010 1:15 PM Pacific

St. Louis is definitely headed in the right direction but it may be another year or two before they’re ready to compete for a playoff berth. They’ve got some good talent on both sides of the ball–QB Sam Bradford has the makings of a superstar and on defense linebacker James Laurinitus also looks like a future Pro Bowler. The problem St. Louis has is injuries–they’ve lost most of their wide receiver corps and will also be without safety James Butler, arguably their best at pass coverage. Niners coming off a bye week which should give Troy Smith a chance to become more fluent with his offensive teammates.

The Rams have been a great ATS play this year (6-2 ATS) but as is the case with Detroit that could make them an overvalued wagering proposition going forward. In recent years St. Louis has been awful as a road underdog in this price range (+3′ to +7) currently on a 6-18 ATS run in that role. They’ve also struggled against divisional opponents who aren’t as likely to take them lightly–they’re 1-1 SU/ATS this season but since 2008 they’re a pitiful 1-13 SU/3-11 ATS against NFL West foes. Despite the Niners’ slow start they’re still in a position to make the playoffs–currently St. Louis and Seattle are tied for the division lead with a 4-4 record and San Fran’s schedule sets up well for a strong stretch run. Laying less than a TD on their home field against a team that has yet to win on the road this season (2-17 SU since 2008) we’ll back the Niners’ superior talent.

Bet San Francisco 49ers -6′ over St. Louis Rams