Once again the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers meet in a matchup which has huge implications.
The two teams met in the final week of the 2021 regular season where the 49ers came back from 17-0 down to beat the Rams at SoFi Stadium 27-24 in overtime and as a result secured a place in the playoffs.
Now the 49ers and Rams meet again in a re-run of that week 18 thriller, but this time a place in the Super Bowl is on the line.
Will the 49ers conquer the City of Angels once again or will the Rams get revenge? DAZN's experts give their predictions for the NFC Championship game.
Matt Astbury - 49ers defence to be the key difference
As the old saying goes 'Defense wins championships' and for the San Francisco 49ers it will steer them to Super Bowl LVI.
While the offence has stuttered, especially against the Green Bay Packers last week, the defence has shone and after keeping Aaron Rodgers quiet, I think they will do the same when it goes head-to-head with Matthew Stafford and his all-star offence. When the teams met in the final week of the regular season, Stafford was sacked five times and with the form the 49ers defence is in, don't be suprised if they post similar numbers once again.
The Rams defence is also a dangerous unit, however, after almost collapsing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida, I'm not so confident the Rams will be able keep their nerve.
Tom Benthall - Jimmy G in for a tough evening
I'm going with a Rams win here, despite their fourth-quarter collapse against the Buccaneers last weekend. With Stafford under centre, they look like a completely different offense to the one that reached Super Bowl LIII, and their pass rush is frightening.
Jimmy G has never lost to the Rams as a starter, but I think he's in for a tough evening with Aaron Donald, Vonn Miller and Leonard Floyd bringing the heat.
Calum Scotland - Rams defence will shine
Two much-maligned QBs have an opportunity to cement something of a legacy in Los Angeles this weekend, but I think it’s Matthew Stafford who comes out on top in this one. He’s seen far too much below-average play from his time in Detroit to let an opportunity like this slip, and it’s the kind of situation that all NFL fans wanted to see him in when he arrived on the west coast.
Cooper Kupp will again find a way to have a field day, while the San Francisco offense will find it tough to move the ball effectively on each drive against a Rams defense which held up well against a more potent attack last week.
Aaron Donald will continue to be a wrecking ball in the middle, and while Deebo Samuel is having his breakout year, Jalen Ramsey will be plastered all over him.
Rams 32-27 49ers
Rudi Schuller - 49ers to continue winning run
These teams are extremely familiar with each other by virtue of being in the same division, and that might work in one team's favour.
The 49ers have won six straight games against the Rams, dating back to 2019, including an overtime victory just three weeks ago.
The run continues for the Niners, who head to SoFi Stadium as the de facto "home" team thanks to their massive fan base throughout California.