The San Francisco 49ers hope to extend their winning streak against the Los Angeles Rams to six games on Sunday. A victory would clinch a playoff berth for Kyle Shanahan's squad. However, a loss paired with a New Orleans Saints win would end its 2021 campaign.
Respected NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger not only expects the Niners to start quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but he predicts the 49ers will beat the Rams again.
"I've got the 49ers winning 27-24," Baldinger told 95.7 The Game's Damon Bruce and Ray Ratto. "… I'm going with the 49ers."
The home-team Rams are currently 3.5-point favorites in the playoff-impacting Week 18 clash between the NFC West rivals. Yet, Baldinger sounds pretty confident in Shanahan, Garoppolo, and the Niners.
"I saw the 49ers wipe them up 31-10 back in Week 10," Baldinger explained. "I thought that they were more physical than the Rams. I thought they took the punch right to them on both sides of the ball. And I think they're capable of doing [it again]."
While the 49ers are fighting for their playoff lives, the Rams are motivated too. They can clinch the NFC West title, guaranteeing a home game to start the playoffs with a win. However, Baldinger believes one team may be more motivated than the other.
"You can't say that the 49ers are hungrier, but the Rams are in the playoffs," Baldinger said. "If they lose the game, the only thing that changes for them is they're not going to win the division, more than likely, and their seeding changes. But they're still going to be playing next week.
"The 49ers, they've got everything in the world to play for. It's just a little bit extra that they have, preparing for this week, warming up for the game on Sunday, and then playing the game."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Baldinger below.