NFL
Edgar Chaput
February 6, 2024

Super Bowl Betting: Why You Should Bet on the San Francisco 49ers

With days still remaining before kickoff at Super Bowl LVIII, what better way to spend it than by analyzing – some would say over-analyzing – every facet of this mouth-watering matchup?

To that effect, we offer some food for thought regarding the San Francisco 49ers and why they are the better bet for the big game. If anyone is going to stop the Chiefs from winning a third title in five years, it’s going to be the San Francisco 49ers. As in, literally, because they’re the only other team left standing.

Oddsmakers currently have the 49ers as 2-point favourites with a 47.5-point total on the board.

So why are the 49ers your best bet in Super Bowl LVIII? Let’s find out.

Don’t forget to check out the Super Bowl odds for plenty of betting action.

Kyle Shanahan’s Diverse Offence

A lot of ink has been spilled this season about some of the Chiefs’ struggles on offence. Their operation wasn’t always moving along at a smooth click. That was definitely not the case in San Francisco. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is a renowned offensive guru – much like Andy Reid – and his ensemble’s prowess was on full display in 2023 and early 2024.

Total yards per game, passing yards per game, rushing yards per game, it didn’t matter for the 49ers. They were a top-five team in all categories, passing for 257.9, running for 140.5, and averaging a total of 398.4. So close to 400, so close. Compiling so much yardage every weekend resulted, unsurprisingly, in the second-best showing for points scored (28.9).

What frightens most about the 49ers’ ruthless efficiency when on the attack is less those totals and more how diverse the stratagem is. They have one of if not the best running backs in the NFL today with Christian McCaffrey, who tallied a whopping 1,459, averaging 5.4 yards per tote. He’s also known as a special tool for short-yardage passing, resulting in YAC (yards after catch). He went for 564 total yards through the air and a sensational 8.4 average. His numbers didn’t even drop much this postseason. The rushing is 5.1 yards per touch and catching for 6.5.

And how about having three players who surpassed or flirted with 1,000 yards? WR Deebo Samuel – a potent rusher, for that matter – finished with 892, TE George Kittle with 1,020, and WR Brandon Aiyuk with 1,342.

The attack converted nearly 50 per cent of third downs situations this season, finishing at 47.5. That figure skyrocketed in the postseason to 57.1 per cent.

49ers: Cardiac Kids of the 2024 Playoffs

We could hear the snickering as the playoffs began.

What had the 49ers accomplished during the regular season? They buzz-sawed the Cowboys, Cardinals, Giants, Commanders, and the like. When they faced a “real” challenge – the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas night – they failed miserably. True.

Therefore, what happened in the playoffs so far has been all the more impressive. Has it been perfect? Not at all, but when a team gets this far, it’s all about winning. A 45-0 final score or a 6-3 final score both award the winning side the Vince Lombardi trophy.

The San Francisco 49ers have been the cardiac kids of the 2024 playoffs. They scored their winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round with barely a minute left to go up 24-21. The defence then followed it up by picking off Jordan Love, courtesy of Dre Greenlaw to put their stamp on the contest. In the NFC Championship game, they now famously trailed 24-7 at halftime against the incredibly talented, feel-good story of the season, the Detroit Lions. It didn’t matter. With stout defensive play (including a critical fumble recovery in the third quarter), a bit of luck, and superb quarterbacking by Brock Purdy, the 49ers stormed back to win 34-31.

Whatever doubt lingered about this group’s ability to handle playoff pressure is deemed null and void.

Brock Purdy, Rock Purdy

Speaking of the player who played a humungous role in the NFC title game comeback, Brock Purdy has officially come into his own as an elite starter in the NFL. There was, understandably, some doubt about him during the offseason. First, he hadn’t played that much. He wasn’t even the full-fledged starter until the midway point of the 2022 season. Second, we never got to see him in action in that year’s NFC title contest because of an elbow injury that subsequently required surgery.

Could he replicate that limited success, especially after getting battered and bruised? He finished fifth in yards passing this season, tallying 4,280. He was third in TDs with 31. He was well protected because he only took 28 sacks, and only threw 11 interceptions, fewer than Patrick Mahomes (14), incidentally. In case you’re wondering, he’s also thrown for more yards than Mahomes per game in these playoffs, 259.5 to 239.3. In a game of inches, you better believe every yard matters.

49ers are the Full Package

Catapulted by a powerful offence and bolstered by a stud defence with players such as DE Nick Bosa and LB Fred Warner, San Francisco is the definition of the full package.

They’re one of the most difficult teams to score against in addition to being one of the more difficult sides to prevent from scoring. Even when things aren’t going well, such as against the Lions, they are more than capable of adjusting the plan and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Who do we know that also does that regularly? Oh right, the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s called fighting with fire, people.