Super Bowl Berth at Stake
In a conference with former Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, who would have thought that the NFC Championship Game would feature Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and rookie Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers?
It has to be a bit concerning for San Francisco fans to see running backs Christian McCaffrey and Eli Mitchell as well as star receiver Deebo Samuel all listed as questionable. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects all three to play on Sunday. Cornerback Avonte Maddox and offensive tackle Lane Johnson are questionable for the Eagles.
This is the 29th time that the No. 1 and 2 seeds have met in the NFC Championship Game with the top-seeded squad winning 18 times.
The last time it happened, it was the No. 1-seeded 49ers topping Green Bay in the playoffs following the 2019 regular season.
Philadelphia is 2-1 as the No. 1 seed in 1 vs. 2 matchups while San Francisco is 2-3 as the No. 2 seed under those circumstances.
Let’s check the latest NFL odds, stats, injury reports, and odds for the 49ers vs Eagles. We’ve got plenty of NFL lines for the NFL Conference Championship Games.
49ers vs Eagles Betting Lines
49ers Getting Defensive
The offensive skill position players might be getting much of the attention leading into the game. However, it should be noted that the teams finished first and second in the NFL in total defense during the regular season.
Nick Bosa is one of the leaders according to the NFL betting lines to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner and safety Talanoa Hufanga are other stars of the 49er’s defense.
Cornerback Deommondre Lenoir has interceptions in each of the first two playoff games. He has allowed just 6 of 12 passes to be completed against him and opposing quarterbacks have a 38.5 passer rating when targeting Lenoir. It is a different story when Charvarius Ward (130 passer rating) and Jimmie Ward (83.5 passer rating) are targeted.
Keep an eye on the status of defensive end Charles Omenihu. He was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. However, Shanahan said he plans on playing Omenihu and no discipline is expected before kickoff. Omenihu has two of the 49ers’ four sacks in the first two playoff games.
San Francisco has covered against Vegas NFL odds in nine of the last 10 games.
Eagles Looking to Soar
Offensive tackle Lane Johnson showing up on the injury report once again is not ideal. He will be called upon, if healthy, to try to slow down Bosa, who led the NFL with 18½ sacks during the regular season.
Wednesday injury report #SFvsPHI pic.twitter.com/xX8oZiIqZR
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 25, 2023
The Eagles looked unstoppable against the New York Giants last week. It was a good sign that quarterback Hurts showed no concern about leading with his right (throwing) shoulder when he ran the ball. His ability to make plays with his legs was a major reason why the Eagles got off to such a strong start.
Running back Kenneth Gainwell had an impressive showing against the Giants. Add him to Hurts, fellow running back Miles Sanders, 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert, and the Eagles have the difference-makers on offense to test the strong 49ers’ defense.
Another key will be the Eagles, who led the NFL in sacks during the season, collapsing the pocket against Purdy and making the rookie more uncomfortable than he was in the previous two postseason contests.
Philadelphia has covered against the NFL betting lines in just one of its five games.
49ers vs Eagles Game Injuries
49ers vs Eagles Head-to-Head
This is the first postseason matchup between the teams since 1996. San Francisco, a 10½-point favorite at home, topped the Eagles 14-0.
The last time the teams met came in 2021 when the 49ers went on the road as three-point underdogs and came away with a 17-11 win. Bosa had two sacks as the 49ers held Hurts under 200 passing yards. The Philadelphia quarterback did run for 82 yards.
It was the fourth game in a row between the teams to finish under the total.
San Francisco has won three of the last five meetings but has covered in just two of those contests. The Eagles took the previous five matchups and covered in each of them.
49ers vs Eagles Game Information
- Game: 49ers vs Eagles
- Date/Time: Sunday, Jan. 29, 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- How to watch Giants vs Eagles?: FOX
Giants vs Eagles Live stream: NFL Game Pass
49ers vs Eagles Game Weather Conditions
Temperatures are expected to be in the high-30s at kickoff but conditions should be dry so that should not play a factor in the outcome.
49ers vs Eagles Picks and Prediction
Predicted Score: 49ers 27, Eagles 24
- Worth Betting on the Moneyline?
The 49ers haven’t lost since Oct. 23 and even with a 12-game winning streak, they are the underdogs with a moneyline of +120. This game feels like a toss-up as the two best teams in the NFC are ready to collide.
The Eagles are priced at -140 and there has been very little movement in the sportsbook with more money coming in on the favored Eagles.
- Worth Betting ATS?
Keep an eye on the spread as it is holding steady at 2½ in favor of the Eagles. If it goes to 3, that might be tempting to jump on that. As it is, those who bet online seem to be favoring the Eagles. The emphatic win over the Giants in the divisional round only increases the confidence in the host team.
The 49ers are a very dangerous underdog. If all the offensive players are good to go, that is likely to increase the action on the 49ers.
- Worth Betting on the Totals?
The total opened at 45 and that drew plenty of action so now it is at 46½. Both of these teams are elite defensive squads so this doesn’t figure to be an offensive showcase. Still, there are enough game-breaking players on both teams that both teams scoring in the 20s seems likely.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
