The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams will face each other for the second time this season, with a chance to possibly overtake the Seattle Seahawks for first place in the NFC West. A victory in this one would be huge for both squads. If San Fran wins, they'll own the head-to-head tiebreaker over LA. But if the Rams pull off the victory, they will even up the season series and improve to 1-1 in the division.

The last time these two played in Week Five on Thursday Night Football, the 49ers beat the Rams in overtime 26-23. Backup quarterback Mac Jones, who appeared to be dealing with injuries the entire game, was spectacular, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

"He played his ass off, man," Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Jones after the Week Five win. "Was unbelievable in the first half. Got banged up a little bit there in the second half and battled through it. [He] protected the ball going against that defense. And throwing the ball that many times and not having a turnover and protecting like he did, I can't say enough good things about Mac."

Though Mac Jones has played very well while Brock Purdy has dealt with a turf toe injury, the 49ers have struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position. While nothing has been officially announced, it sounds like Purdy will once again be unavailable this weekend and will miss his sixth consecutive game.

"I just want to make sure he gets 100% better, and [we] don’t put him out there too early," Shanahan told The Athletic. “We’re trying to ease Brock out there, but anytime you’re dealing with this turf toe, it’s probably something that probably won’t fully go away all year, regardless of when he comes back… It’s a little bit of a tricky decision.”

The good news for the Niners is that Mac Jones has the full confidence of his teammates. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey knows that Jones will always put his team in a good position to win games.

"Mac is Mac... he's cool, calm, and collected, but competitive and fiery. And he's a great operator in the huddle," McCaffrey said after the Niners' 34-24 victory last Sunday over the New York Giants. "He sees it really well and, obviously, can make any throw. We love the confidence that he plays with."

Being the consummate professional that he is, Mac Jones said that the uncertainty of whether he or Brock Purdy will start does not impact his ability to come out ready to play each week.

"It doesn't really affect my preparation, to be honest," he said during the Week Nine postgame press conference. "I've been fortunate to play both roles - starter and backup - in this league, so I understand what I need to do to get ready to play. Really, it's about my health and my body and just trying to get back to 100% for myself. So, I know Brock's working hard, and he's done a great job every week helping me get ready, and that's all you can ask from your quarterback."

After that bitterly disappointing loss to the 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams have responded nicely with three straight wins. What's more impressive is that they've outscored their opponents 86-20 during that stretch.

"I think, really, the last two weeks, it's been a good example of a lot of our practice-preparation [and] practice-performance equaling game reality," explained Rams head coach Sean McVay after their 34-10 Week Nine win over the New Orleans Saints. "I am really proud of our football team as a whole. I thought our defense and offense were excellent."

When San Francisco and LA first faced each other, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was a huge difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball with 12 total tackles in the game. Though Warner has since been lost for the season due to an ankle injury, Rams wide receiver Davante Adams isn't underestimating the Niners' defense.

“Anytime you take Fred off the field, it's going to be different for sure. I mean, that's still the defense that they are. It's the way that they're coached. It's just the way that Fred has led them to be over there,” Adams told reporters on Wednesday. “No matter who's in there, we’re expecting them to be able to play the same brand of football. Maybe not exactly like Fred would play, but guys are still going to be flying around.”

Though it's hard not to look around at the rest of the division and the race for the NFC West crown, Sean McVay has been here before and knows that his guys have to take things "one day at a time."

“It's such a long season, and there still is so much ball left to be played. This is an excellent opponent we're playing. We're familiar with them. We played them pretty recently, but it's always a great challenge. We know that it's going to take 60 minutes and maybe even then some,” McVay said on November 5th. “I think we try to have a consistent rhythm and routine, an approach that's geared towards us continuously improving while acknowledging what are the things that we need to do going against a specific opponent, both personnel-driven and tactically. Our guys are excited about continuously taking steps to where we can improve throughout, and I think that's what the good teams do.”

Prediction for Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers

A 4.5-point spread for a team going on the road against a divisional rival is crazy to think about. After all, the last matchup between these two squads was decided by three points. Turnovers killed the Rams' chances last time, and they'll probably do a better job of taking care of the football this time around. Considering the Niners aren't that great at defending the pass (24th in passer rating allowed this season) and Davante Adams has finally developed a connection with LA quarterback Matthew Stafford, it feels like the Rams will get revenge for that Week Five loss.

Prediction: Rams 25 - 24 49ers

How to watch Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers

Rams @ 49ers starts at 4:25 p.m. EDT at Levi's Stadium. You can watch it on Fox or stream it via the Fox Sports app or YouTubeTV.

What To Do If You Have A Gambling Problem

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call or visit the Council on Compulsive Gambling:

• Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-Call GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org

• CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY – Call 1-800-GAMBLER

• AZ- Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP

• IA – Call 1-800-BETS-OFF

• KS, NV – Call 1-800-522-4700

• KY – Call 1-800 GAMBLER, 18+

• MI – Call 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help

• MA – Call 1-800-327-5050

• NC – Call – 1-800-662-4357

• NY- Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369)

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Gambling comes with its fair share of risks, and it is important to recognize that when using online gambling sites.

While we review different gambling sites, you should check with local laws in your area before gambling online. Also, all gambling sites and guides are rated 21+ only.

The following free gambling addiction resources can be of help:

21+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER