NFL Conference Championship: San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Betting Preview
The road to the Super Bowl takes a stop in the City of Brotherly Love Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers (15-4) and the Philadelphia Eagles (15-3) battle it out for the NFC Championship. The Eagles will host this one at Lincoln Financial Field, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 pm ET.
Last week, the 49ers’ defense showed how elite it was by holding the Dallas Cowboys to just 12 points. The 49ers were only able to put up 19 points themselves, in part due to a touchdown from Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco will look to keep their defense rolling as they go against the top-ranked Eagles.
Speaking of Philadelphia, they were able to dismantle the New York Giants last week 38-7. In the win, Jalen Hurts threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown. Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott also had rushing touchdowns for the Eagles.
The Eagles are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -148 to win, while the 49ers’ moneyline sits at +126. The spread features San Francisco as 2.5-point underdogs (-105), and the over/under for total points is set at 46.5 (-110).
49ers Elite Defense Looks To Shine Again
San Francisco’s defense has been on a whole different level from the rest of the league this season, and head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes the squad can give a repeat performance of last week in this one.
On the season, the 49ers rank first in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 16.4 points per game (18 on the road). In their last three, they have allowed an average of 16 per game.
During the regular season, the defensive leaders were Fred Warner (130 tackles), Nick Bosa (18.5 sacks), and Tashaun Gipson Sr (five interceptions).
On offense, the team will look for a better production out of quarterback Brock Purdy than last week. In the win over Dallas, he threw for just 214 yards in the game. In parts of nine games during the regular season, he threw for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
On the ground, Christian McCaffrey has provided a huge boost for the 49ers’ offense. In two games, he has rushed for 154 yards and a score, while also hauling in 39 yards on eight receptions and another score through the air.
Eagles Look To Flex Their Muscles At Home
After losing two of their last three games during the regular season, there was some concern as to how the Eagles might perform in the postseason. They certainly showed last week why they were the top seed in the NFC, and will look to continue to flex their muscles as they host San Francisco.
Like San Francisco, the Eagles have a stout defense. They rank sixth in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 19.5 points per game (17.6 at home).
They are even better on offense, where they rank second in the NFL in scoring, averaging 28.6 points per game.
Leading the way for Philadelphia is quarterback Jalen Hurts. During the regular season, he threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed for 760 yards and another 13 scores.
Through the air, Hurts’ favorite receiver this season has been A.J. Brown. In 17 regular season contests, he had 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Take Philadelphia To Win And Cover
This should be a really fun matchup between two of the best defenses in the league. The deciding factor in this one, though, will be under-center.
For the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, he has played at an MVP-caliber level this season, and he truly can beat defenses with both his arm and his legs. For Brock Purdy, he has been an amazing story for the 49ers, but he showed signs of his inexperience last week in the win over Dallas.
In the big moment, give me Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense, especially playing at home. This will likely stay close for much of the game, but expect the Eagles to pull away late.
Take Philadelphia to both win and to cover the modest 2.5-point spread (-115).
