We have finally made it to the first game of the regular season for the Los Angeles Rams. To start the season, the Rams are set to play the first regular season game in Melbourne, Australia against a division rival in the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams come into the season with Super Bowl expectations. After trading for pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Trent McDuffie, the Rams are Super Bowl favorites. While they may have a roster on paper capable of winning a Super Bowl, they have to be able to prove it on the field. Coming into the game, the 49ers are looking to bounce back and get back to being serious contenders. TThe 49ers made three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances before missing the playoffs completely in 2024 and then just sneaking into the postseason last year, losing to the Seattle Seahawks. Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa will be ready to go for Week 1. A big part of this game will be about which team handles the travel and time difference better than the other. Both teams took vastly different approaches, with the 49ers arriving last week and the Rams arriving the day before the game. We’ll see which approach worked on Thursday night. Rams Offense vs. 49ers DefenseIt wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams try and get into a rhythm by running the ball a lot early in the game. The 49ers lost Alfred Collins on the interior of their defensive line and the Rams could find some success. However, Fred Warner always makes things difficult. If the Rams can move the ball on the ground, it will set up their play action passing game and allow everything else to work. Rams Defense vs. 49ers OffenseThe Rams may be without Aaron Donald, but they still have great depth on the defensive line and a pass rush that includes Garrett and Kobie Turner. DDuring the offseason, the Rams improved in the secondary, and they will be tested. Kyle Shanahan always does a good job getting his offensive playmakers in space and forcing the opposing team’s secondary to tackle. Matchup to Watch: Myles Garrett vs. Trent WilliamsTrent Williams may not be the player that he was in his prime, but he’s still very good. If the Rams are going to disrupt Brock Purdy and force him into mistakes, Garrett has to be able to win that matchup and create quick pressures. The two highest pass-rush win rates allowed by Williams in his career have come against Myles Garrett. Williams allowed a 36 percent pass-rush win rate to Garrett last December and a 38 percent pass-rush win rate back in 2023. — PFF (@PFF) December 3, 2025PredictionWhile the Rams arrived in Melbourne later than the 49ers, they did that after coming up with an extensive plan that stemmed from doing a lot of research over the past couple of years. The 49ers will be playing the game at 10:30 a.m. local time as the Rams are playing it at 5:30 p.m. according to their body clocks. That could result in the Rams getting off to a fast start. Division games against the 49ers are always close and Thursday should be no different. Score: Rams 31, 49ers 20Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow