49ers vs. Eagles Point Spread: NFL Wildcard Odds, Prediction
It’s a rematch of the 2023 NFC Championship and while the 49ers again come in wounded, they at least have healthy quarterbacks this go around. San Francisco overcame a ton of devastating injuries to finish 12-5 and earn the six seed in the NFC. The 49ers could’ve finished first if not for a tough 13-3 defeat at home to Seattle last week.
Philadelphia’s up-and-down season got them to an 11-6 record and their second straight NFC East title. The Eagles used home field advantage last season to win a trio of games and then eventually the Super Bowl. Now it’s up to Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and company to find that gear again as Philadelphia prepares for another post-season run.
Kickoff on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field is slated for 4:30 p.m. EST, with the Eagles coming in as a -220 moneyline favourite and -4.5 on the point spread. The total is at 45 on the NFL odds.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Home field advantage is as big as it gets in Philadelphia, with the Eagles winning 16 of their last 19 at home overall and five straight home playoff games too. The 49ers do enter as a strong road team though, going 7-2 both outright and against the spread as the road team this season. Head-to-head, the 49ers have won two of their last three games at Philadelphia with the lone loss the 2023 NFC Championship, a Eagles won 31-7 in which the 49ers had no quarterbacks healthy enough to throw the ball. Sunday’s the third playoff meeting between these teams with the other coming in the 1996 Wild Card; the 49ers won this game 14-0.
The under has hit in five of these teams last six meetings, and is 7-2 in Philadelphia’s last nine games overall. The Eagles ranked fifth in the NFL this season with 19.1 points allowed per game. Before last week’s 13-3 defeat, the 49ers had hit at least 37 points in three straight games.
San Francisco 49ers
Last week the 49ers offence had its worst output all season, totaling three points and 173 yards. Three points was the lowest total for the 49ers since Kyle Shanahan’s debut as head coach in 2017, and his work is cut out against an Eagles defence loaded with talent and experience. The good news is the 49ers offence should get both receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) and left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) back this week. Pearsall led the team with 58.7 receiving yards per game but suited up just nine times.
But per usual, this offence should run through Christian McCaffrey. The 29-year-old RB led the team with 1,202 rushing yards and added another 924 receiving yards on 102 catches. If you’re looking for a difference maker, Jauan Jennings scored a team-high nine receiving touchdowns and may get less attention than the likes of McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.
The defence remains without its top two players in Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, and Warner’s linebacker spot continues to be tough to replace — literally. Four different players have started at MLB for San Francisco this season and Tatum Bethune (groin) is now out for the season. Veteran Eric Kendricks is expected to start there now.
Philadelphia Eagles
The variability of the Eagles offence is the scariest part of this team — both in a good way and a bad way. Last year’s rushing attack spearheaded by Saquon Barkley never got to its full form, as Barkley dipped down from 2,005 rushing yards to 1,140 this season and dropped nearly two yards per carry. Jalen Hurts ended up getting his top two receivers in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown both over 1,000 yards, but for the most this group lacked consistent chemistry. Tight end Dallas Goedert led the team with 11 receiving touchdowns and given the 49ers linebacker woes, Goedert could be a mismatch in the Eagles favour. The only issue is Goedert (knee) was on the injury report and sat out last week, so keep an eye out for his official status on Sunday.
The Eagles defence finished 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game and have their work cut out this weekend with San Fran’s run game. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (hip) and edge Jaelan Phillips (ankle) both sat out last week. Both need to play and perform for this defence to rise to the occasion. Otherwise, look for nickel Cooper DeJeqan to make a game-changing play.
SF
PHI