The NFC West rivalry opens the rest of Week 1 on the other side of the world. To show, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet Thursday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is the first regular-season game Australia has ever hosted. It is a morning kickoff locally and a Netflix exclusive nationally back home. Certainly, it is a strange NFL odds setting for two teams that already know each other too well.
Concurrently, Los Angeles arrives as a Super Bowl favorite built around last year’s MVP and last year’s Defensive Player of the Year. Matthew Stafford is back for another season after throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams give him two of the league’s most productive receivers. At the same time, Kyren Williams remains the engine of Sean McVay’s run game.
The Rams then went all-in on defense by trading for Myles Garrett. Thus, they paired the sack record-holder with a secondary that also added Trent McDuffie. McVay’s club has won four of the last five meetings with San Francisco. Additionally, they are 7-2 in Week 1 under him. Their travel plan runs counter to conventional wisdom: fly in late and play almost immediately.
By contrast, San Francisco chose the other extreme. The 49ers arrived a week early to adjust to the time change. Last year, Kyle Shanahan’s team finished 12-5. Still on the team are Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, and Fred Warner at the core. The supporting cast around Purdy is different.
Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Thursday, September 10, 2026, with kickoff at 8:35 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. |
| TV Coverage: | Netflix |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | +3½ ( -110 ) | 48½ ( -110 ) | +161 |  |
| Los Angeles Rams | -3½ ( -110 ) | 48½ ( -110 ) | -202 | |
| ||||
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams play Thursday, September 10, 2026, with kickoff at 8:35 p.m. Eastern at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. Specifically, this is the NFL’s first regular-season matchup on that continent. Nationally in the United States, the Sports Betting matchup streams on Netflix.
Rams vs. 49ers Analysis
When the Rams have the ball, the NFL Betting question is whether Stafford can pick apart a 49ers defense that is missing its old coordinator. In addition to waiting on Nick Bosa’s first real snaps of the year.
Los Angeles wants to get Puka Nacua on the move, use Davante Adams as the isolated threat, and let Kyren Williams force San Francisco to honor the run. So that Stafford can work play-action. Myles Garrett does not help the Rams on this side of the ball. But the threat of him later in the game can make Shanahan more conservative on early downs.
When the 49ers have the ball, the matchup flips onto McCaffrey and Purdy against a Rams front that just added the best edge rusher in football. Shanahan will try to get McCaffrey into space. In addition to using Kittle as a mismatch if he is healthy.
Additionally, they want to see whether Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel can still win against a secondary that now includes Trent McDuffie. Purdy’s job is to protect the ball. Last year, his interception rate climbed, and Garrett is the kind of rusher who turns a late throw into a short field.
SBG Free Picks
Although the Rams can still win, covering as a short favorite after a sixteen-hour flight is the harder ticket. Finally, 48.5 is a lot of points for the first snap of the year, for two staffs that know each other.
SBG Best Bet: San Francisco 49ers and Under the Total.