Although the San Francisco 49ers have had to deal with a plethora of health concerns in yet another injury-plagued campaign, they still control their playoff destiny heading into the final week of the biggest NFL regular season in history. The Niners will face a division rival that they’ve had great success against recently in their final game of the 2021 regular season, yet several fans and pundits are still skeptical of their overall chances to make the postseason.

NitroBetting is ready to equip its bettors with all the latest previews and NFL betting odds for Week 18 of the 2021 NFL season. This time, let’s examine what the San Francisco 49ers need to make the 2022 NFL Playoffs. Learn more about the Niners’ odds of making the postseason, as well as the actual NFL betting odds and added insights for their pivotal Week 18 matchup against long-time division rivals the Los Angeles Rams.

San Francisco 49ers 2022 NFL Playoffs Chances

Laser focus: #BeatLA

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 6, 2022

READ MORE: What the Saints Need to Make the 2022 NFL Playoffs

San Francisco’s Chances to Make the Playoffs

The 49ers had a decent 75% chance to make the playoffs entering their Week 17 clash against the Houston Texans. After that win over Houston, though, San Francisco’s odds actually took a slight dip to just 61% after the New Orleans Saints also won their Week 17 meeting against the Carolina Panthers. We’ll get more into the reasons as to why the Niners saw their odds of making the playoffs decrease despite winning last week below.

As of this writing, the 49ers are (+4.5) underdogs to win their road clash against NFC West rivals the Los Angeles Rams. San Fran’s road underdog status should be taken with a grain of salt, though, as the team has won five straight meetings against Los Angeles dating back to the 2019 season.

One question that the Niners have to address is the situation at quarterback. Head coach Kyle Shanahan expects incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo to start in the Week 18 season finale after taking last week off due to a thumb injury. Garoppolo is the obvious choice to start against the Rams as it was he who led the Niners in four of those five consecutive victories over LA. Should Jimmy G not be ready to go, however, rookie QB Trey Lance will have the tall order of one-upping his relatively sound performance during last Sunday’s win over the Texans.

What the 49ers Need to Happen

San Francisco’s path to the playoffs is simple: win and you’re in. Not only will a victory over the Rams officially vault the Niners into the postseason, but they’ll also put LA’s goal of winning the NFC West title in jeopardy.

A loss does not necessarily mean playoff elimination for the 49ers yet, either. If the Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, then the Niners are still in. However, if New Orleans wins and the Niners lose, then the Saints bump them out of the playoff picture by virtue of having a better division record this season.

The 49ers cannot finish higher than the sixth seed in the NFC and will also be battling with the current No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles for that playoff spot. The Eagles have a tough matchup to close out their own campaign with a huge homestand against NFC East champions the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 NFL Regular Season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.