NFL handicappers can now move forward in their study of this week’s San Francisco 49ers at St.Louis Rams matchup as head coach Jim Harbaugh ended the speculation mid-week by selecting Colin Kaepernick to start at quarterback over veteran Alex Smith.…

The decision to forgo Smith, who is 20-5-1 as a starter under Harbaugh, would seem highly risky for a team sitting comfortably in first-place in the NFC West. There seems no doubt Kapernick is a superior overall talent to Smith, and may in fact turn into a top-flight NFL quarterback. But this move could be questioned for many reasons.

Looking at the NFL odds, the 49ers are heavy 7-point favorites against the Rams with some betting shops upping the line to 7 ½. The over/under sits at 40 points virtually everywhere. This is the second time these division rivals have met this year. In Week 10, the Rams and 49ers battled to a 23-23 tie at Candlestick Park.

San Francisco's last loss came six weeks ago at the hands of the New York Giants. Last week, the 49ers went into New Orleans and secured an impressive 31-21 win with Kaepernick at the controls. Against the Saints, Kaepernick finished 16 of 25 for 231 yards with one passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.

St. Louis comes in following a 31-17 road win against the Arizona Cardinals as a one-point underdog. That victory snapped a five-game winless streak and leaves the Rams thinking they have a chance to at least keep it close against the 49ers. In the first matchup between these two teams, wide receiver Danny Amendola had 11 catches for 102 yards and Stephen Jackson added another 101 yards on the ground.

San Francisco appears to be hitting on all cylinders, even with the quarterback controversy, and that could make this a tough challenge for the Rams. Still, St. Louis is a solid 7-4 against the spread this season may be able to again keep it close against the 49ers.