49ers vs. Rams prediction, odds and best bet for NFL Week 3: Will key injuries impact offenses?

A pivotal game in the race for the NFC West title between San Francisco and the LA Rams is set for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Both teams lost last week, so they'll try to bounce back before the losses begin to pile up while they deal with injuries to their most important offensive players.

Keep reading for our 49ers vs. Rams prediction, odds and best bet for NFL Week 3.

Week 3 49ers vs. Rams prediction: Under 44.5 points ( -110 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook )

San Francisco has won without Deebo Samuel in previous seasons, but it had Christian McCaffrey in those games. On Sunday in LA, the 49ers will have neither.

The 49ers' offense works well because those two players are great dual threats. When you take both of them away, the 49ers must be more traditional in their approach. That's easier to defend.

The Rams will likely struggle without Kupp and Nacua against a strong San Francisco defense. RB Kyren Williams is still pretty good, and there's always a chance some of the reserve wide receivers play above their usual level, but this doesn't seem like a great spot for the Rams to reach even a lowered ceiling.

Expect both offenses to be well below their usual standard.

NFL Week 3 49ers vs. Rams odds San Francisco is on the road for Sunday's game, but oddsmakers are still asking the 49ers to cover a big number. Depending on which online sportsbook you choose, you will have to lay 7 or 7.5 points with the 49ers in a division game.

The 49ers are 1-1 against the spread so far. They won by 13 points as 3.5-point favorites in Week 1 but lost by six points as 4-point favorites in Week 2. The Rams are 0-2 ATS after losing by six points as 5-point underdogs and losing by 31 points as a pick 'em against Arizona.

Both teams are 1-1 on the total.

Why San Francisco could win as the favorite San Francisco did not miss a beat when it had to play without RB Christian McCaffrey in the season-opener. Jordan Mason piled up the yardage in that win over the Jets and again in last week's loss to Minnesota.

Culture and systems count for something so now that the 49ers will miss WR Deebo Samuel due to an injury, don't expect them to take many steps back. The next player up is likely to be Jauan Jennings, and he's proven to be reliable.

The Rams, on the other hand, don't have a track record of performing well without their top players so the absences of WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua could be detrimental against a San Francisco defense that always seems to play well.

Why Los Angeles could win as the underdog It will be tough for the Rams to win this one, but any time a good team plays at home it gets a little boost.

The absences of Kupp and Nacua will hurt the offense, but maybe this provides the Rams' offensive coaches an opportunity to do something different than normal. No longer will Kupp be moving around the backfield before the snap, so all that film the 49ers' defense could have watched is borderline worthless.

Rams head coach Sean McVay is one of the best in the league, so he may have something up his sleeve and be able to surprise the 49ers with something they haven't seen.