The race in the NFC West — the NFL’s best division — may have a little more clarity this weekend, when the Los Angeles Rams meet the San Francisco 49ers in a game matching contenders on Sunday afternoon.
The Rams, 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, who lead the West with six victores, enter the stretch run with work to do — and both the Rams and Seahawks have a little more.
The Rams (6-2) and Seattle (6-2) are ranked as the top two teams in the league in the rating system used by Pro Football Reference, and each has three games remaining against the other division contenders.
The 6-3 49ers, rated 11th, have two, including the Rams at home Sunday. They beat the Rams 26-23 in overtime at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 2.
The 49ers’ schedule eases precipitously after this week. They will have four home games remaining, concluding with Seattle. Indianapolis is the only difficult road matchup left.
The Baltimore Ravens visit the Minnesota Vikings early Sunday as both teams look to stay connected to the playoff leaders.
AFC Central leading Pittsburgh meets AFC West contender the Los Angeles Chargers on the West Coast in the final game Sunday.
Los Angeles Rams (6-2) at San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Sunday, FOX, 4:25 pm ET
The underdog has covered the covered the number in 13 of the last 14 meetings in a rivalry that has been played 153 times, twice a year (three times including two playoff meetings) since 1950.
The Rams have won the last two — by six and one points — but have won only three of the last 12 in the Bay Area.
The 49ers escaped 26-23 in the first meeting this season on Eddy Pinero’s overtime field goal and a defensive stop. Each team had more than 400 yards in total offense, but the 49ers had a 13-minute edge in time of possession and benefited from a 2-0 edge in turnovers.
Mac Jones passed for 342 yards in his third game as a starter, and he again is expected to go in place of Brock Purdy. Christian McCaffrey leads the league in rushing attempts, and he leads running backs in receptions and yards.
Puka Nacua is healthy again, giving Matthew Stafford his primary target.
The spread: Rams -4 1/2
The money line: Rams -220, 49ers +184
The total: 49 1/2
The play: 49ers
Baltimore Ravens (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
Sunday, FOX, 1 pm ET
Lamar Jackson sparkled in his return from a hamstring injury, with almost as many touchdown passes (five) as incompletions (five) in the Ravens’ 28-6 victory over the struggling Dolphins on Oct. 30.
“It’s do or die, win or go home,” Jackson, who is 24-3 against the NFC, said before that one.
Those words could stand for a rallying cry. Only one six-loss team made the playoffs last season, and seven-loss Seattle did not.
Baltimore faced a hellscape of an early-season schedule, with games against Buffalo, Detroit, Kansas City and the Rams (all losses) in the first six weeks. As the schedule softens, the their run to the playoffs continues.
The spread: Ravens -4 1/2
The money line: Ravens -230, Vikings +190
The total: 48 1/2
The play: Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
Sunday, NBA/Peacock, 8:20 pm ET
Pittsburgh has beaten two teams with a running record — Indianapolis last week and New England in Week 3 — and both have come with smoke and mirrors. The Colts had six turnovers in the 27-20 loss last week, the Patriots had five in a 21-14 loss.
The Steelers have been out-gained in every game but one this season, that coming in a 29-3 win over the Browns in Week 6. Their other wins are against the Jets and the Vikings
Aaron Rodgers has been adequate, but his quarterback rating of 20 lags far below that of Chargers’ signal-caller Justin Herbert, who is ranked eighth and also contributes with his legs. His 305 yards rushing are one short of a career high.
The Chargers are third in the league in total offense; the Steelers are 30th. It is never a bad plan to go with the better team at home.
The spread: Chargers, -2 1/2
The money line: Chargers -148, Steelers +126
The total: 44 1/2
The play: Chargers
Last week: 1-2
Season: 13-16
Odds from FanDuel
