49ers vs Rams Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday Night Football Tonight
The San Francisco 49ers are favored to perform well against the Los Angeles Rams in a historic NFL game held in Melbourne, Australia. Analysts point to the 49ers' earlier arrival and better preparation as key factors compared to the Rams' late travel schedule.
Why it matters
The expansion of NFL games to international markets like Australia represents a significant growth strategy for the league's global brand.
Our NFL expert sees the 49ers keeping things close, if not winning outright, when they battle the Rams in Australia on Thursday evening.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Christian McCaffrey and Puka Nacua headline Thursday Night Football in Australia. The first-ever regular-season NFL game in Australia brings a heated NFC West rivalry to the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Rams are 3.5-point favorites against the 49ers, with the total set at 48.5. Kickoff is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET, though the local time will be 10:35 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
My 49ers vs. Rams prediction and NFL picks for Thursday Night Football in Week 1 dig into the storied Shanahan-McVay rivalry, each team's travel situation, and other outlier stats.
Also covering this story
6 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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