San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers Betting Preview
Saturday night will feature an NFC Divisional Round matchup between the San Francisco 49ers (11-7) and the top-seeded Green Bay Packers (13-4). The Packers will host this one at Lambeau Field, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.
The 49ers were able to advance through the Wild Card round last weekend over the No. 4 Dallas Cowboys 23-17.
In the win, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for just 172 yards and an interception, but it was the ground game and defense that allowed the 49ers to prevail. Both Eli Mitchell (96 yards) and Deebo Samuel (72) yards had a rushing touchdown in the game.
For the Packers, they enjoyed a bye last week as the top seed in the NFC. To end the regular season, the Packers had their five-game winning streak snapped in the final week during a 37-30 loss to the Lions.
One major advantage for the Packers is their ability to host this one. This season, they are 8-0 when playing at Lambeau Field.
The Packers are the favorites Saturday night. They are -245 to win while the 49ers’ moneyline sits at +200. The spread features San Francisco +5.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 47.5.
More Odds
In terms of the Super Bowl, the Packers are the favorites to win it all this season at +350. The 49ers are +1200 to win as the only team they have better odds than is the Bengals.
By The Numbers
The Packers statistically have the better offense to date. They rank 10th in scoring averaging 26.5 points per game (30.6 at home). The 49ers rank 13th, averaging 25 points per game.
Defensively, it is the 49ers with the edge. They rank eighth in scoring defense, allowing just 21.2 points per game to opponents. The Packers rank 13th, allowing 21.8 points (16.8 at home).
49ers Look To Stay Physical Against Packers
With a hard-nosed defense and a running attack that ranks seventh in yards per game (129.7), the 49ers have a recipe to give the Packers fits Saturday night. The question is whether it will be enough to overtake the best team in football.
Leading the way under center is veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. In 15 regular-season games, Garoppolo threw for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
One of the biggest offensive weapons for the 49ers is Deebo Samuel. A jack of all trades, Samuel has 1,405 yards and six touchdowns receiving, 365 yards and eight touchdowns rushing, and has even thrown for 24 yards and a score.
Defensively, the 49ers got a huge boost on Friday. It was announced that Nick Bosa, who had suffered a concussion last weekend, was cleared to play for Saturday’s game. Bosa has 52 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles this season.
Rodgers Trying To Overcome Postseason Nemesis
The Packers and 49ers have a long history with one another in the postseason, stemming back to the days of Steve Young and Brett Favre. While the head-to-head matchup is tied between the two franchises, it has not been so kind to Rodgers.
To date, Rodgers is 0-3 against the 49ers in the playoffs, and the future Hall-of-Famer will look to overcome his nemesis Saturday night.
Rodgers looks like the favorite to win his second straight MVP award this year after another phenomenal season. In 16 games, he threw for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He also rushed for 101 yards and another three scores.
His favorite target continues to be Davante Adams. The soon-to-be free agent had 123 receptions, 1,553 yards, and 11 touchdowns during the regular season.
Take The Packers To Win And Cover
Despite being the largest spread of the weekend, this one isn’t as clear-cut as it might seem. The 49ers have been playing excellent on both sides of the ball lately, and their smashmouth approach could keep Rodgers off the field.
If they can do that, the 49ers have a realistic chance of pulling off the upset at Lambeau Field.
The only problem is that they will need to be darn near perfect in order for that to happen, and that is just a tough task when playing in Green Bay.
Expect this one to be close early, but expect the Packers to eventually pull away and cover the 5.5-point spread.