After coming off a hard-fought, grown man game against the Baltimore Ravens that resulted in a 16-6 loss, the San Francisco 49ers can breathe a sigh of relief as their early Christmas gift upon returning to the west coast is a visit from the St. Louis Rams.
The 49ers are 13.5-point favorites over the Rams heading into their NFC West game on Sunday. The two teams records are flip-flopped as the 49ers have been the surprise of the season with a 9-2 record under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, while the Rams have struggled to a 2-9 record.
The 49ers' place in the playoffs is just a formality. Now, it's all about positioning. The 49ers have a chance to clinch the division with a win over the Rams and the best bet is that Harbaugh will have them ready to get this seasonal goal locked up now so they can start prepping for the playoffs.