Prediction 1
SF (+4.5) to cover vs. PHI Alternate Spread
(-166)
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Prediction 2
Christian McCaffrey anytime TD scorer Player Prop
(-120)
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By Lawrence Smelser
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles prediction, matchup preview and current betting lines
The top two seeds in the NFC, Philadelphia and San Francisco, will meet in the NFC Championship on Sunday (01/29/2023) for a trip to the Super Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. ET and the bout can be seen on FOX.
The Eagles (15-3) are attempting to make their first Super Bowl appearance since 2018 when they defeated the Patriots 41-33. Sunday will mark the first-ever conference championship appearance for head coach Nick Sirianni.
The 49ers (15-4) have reached the NFC Championship for a second-straight year. Last season, the red and white fell just short, 23-20, to the Los Angeles Rams.
San Francisco is trying to reach the big game for the second time since 2020. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and company lost 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philadelphia is coming off a 38-7 dismantling of New York in the divisional round. Quarterback Jalen Hurts put together a nice performance going 16-of-24 for 148 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The former Oklahoma Sooner also rushed for 34 yards and a score.
Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers enter the game after a 19-12 win over the Cowboys. The last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft completed 19-of-29 passes for 214 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey scored the team’s lone touchdown of the evening.
The 49ers' last 12 games. 😤 #FTTB pic.twitter.com/SjqrOL2KNw
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 26, 2023
Oddsmakers at Caesars have the odds set in favor of the Eagles winning as 2.5-point favorites on the spread and -145 on the moneyline, compared to the 49ers at +122.
The game total is set at 46 points. Currently, 69% of bets have been placed on Philadelphia to cover the spread and 87% of the money is on the Pennsylvania-based team to win outright.
Players to watch in the 49ers vs. Eagles contest
San Francisco
Brandon Aiyuk: The 2020 first-round pick found himself in Shanahan’s dog house last season. This year, he’s enjoyed a breakout campaign by leading the 49ers in receiving with 1,015 yards. Aiyuk has also recorded 78 receptions and eight touchdowns (T-11th in the NFL) in 2022-2023.
Philadelphia
A.J. Brown: The Eagles traded the No. 18 and No. 101 overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft for the Pro Bowl wideout. Brown has made the trade more than worth it for Philadelphia by recording 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. The Ole Miss product has quickly become Hurts’ favorite target.
Our NFL bet of the week for the 49ers vs. Eagles
ESTNN is providing bettors with two free selections for this game.
San Francisco vs. Philadelphia prediction: 49ers (+4.5) @ -166 (Caesars)
Many pundits and fans thought the 49ers wouldn’t have a chance of reaching the NFC Championship when Jimmy Garoppolo was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury in week 13.
Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy, stepped into Garoppolo’s role and has impressed everyone in the organization with how well he’s played. The Iowa State product is 7-0 as the team’s starter and has likely earned the job for the future.
Purdy, the team’s third-stringer, has thrown 16 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions in seven contests including the playoffs. His postseason quarterback rating of 74.6 ranks him fifth out of 14 quarterbacks.
The 49ers boast the NFL’s top-ranked defense for the regular season. The unit was first in points allowed, (16.3) yards allowed, (300.6) and interceptions (20).
Shanahan’s fifth-ranked total offense during the regular season (365.6 yards per game) averaged 26.5 points per game (sixth) despite starting three quarterbacks.
Philadelphia is balanced on both sides of the ball. On offense, the unit was third in both points per game (28.1) and in yards per contest (389.1).
The Eagles owned the second-ranked total defense (301.5 yards per game) during the regular season and surrendered just 20.2 points per game (eighth).
The team’s quarterback, Hurts, has enjoyed an MVP-Caliber year. His stats below indicate why he’s been listed as a finalist for the MVP award.
Jalen Hurts Stats (Regular Season)
Passing yards: 3,701 (10th)
Touchdown passes: 22 (14th)
Interceptions: 6 (T-4th)
Quarterback rating: 66.3 (4th)
The dual-threat signal caller is lethal on the ground. Hurts rushed for 760 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.
There's only one player in #NFL history with 3,000+ pass yards, 700+ rush yards, 20+ pass TD, 10+ rush TD, and fewer than 10 INT in a season.
Jalen Hurts#Eagles #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/va9sPzSxmI
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) January 27, 2023
The 49ers are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games and 7-3 ATS in their previous 10 road games in Philadelphia. The Eagles are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games and are 7-3 ATS at home this campaign.
Our best San Francisco vs. Philadelphia prediction at ESTNN is to take the 49ers to cover an alternate 4.5-point spread. Caesars is offering -166 odds for the wager.
49ers vs. Eagles prediction and odds: Christian McCaffrey anytime TD scorer @ -120 (BetMGM)
The Pro Bowl running back has scored at least one touchdown in each of his prior eight contests. The dynamic talent has been lethal both rushing (1,139 yards) and receiving (85 receptions for 741 yards) the ball.
McCaffrey’s last eight games
NFC Divisional round vs. Dallas (One rushing TD)
NFC Wild Card vs. Seattle: (One receiving TD)
Week 18 vs. Arizona (One receiving TD)
Week 17 at Las Vegas (One rushing TD)
Week 16 vs. Washington (One rushing TD)
Week 15 at Seattle (One rushing TD)
Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay (One rushing and one receiving TD)
Week 13 vs. Miami (One receiving TD)
The former Stanford Cardinal was traded to the 49ers just before Week 7. McCaffrey became the full-time starter in Week 8. During the regular season, he recorded 35 rushes and seven receptions in the red zone.
Our pick is to take McCaffrey at near even money (-120) to score a touchdown against the Eagles at BetMGM Sportsbook. If you’re interested in learning about more prop bets for the conference championships, read our NFL player props page.