San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Odds, Spread, Preview: NFL Week 17 Predictions

By Lawrence Smelser

San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Week 17 matchup preview and current betting lines

The 49ers will make the trip to Sin City to take on the Raiders Sunday. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET and the matchup can be seen on FOX.

San Francisco (11-4) currently sits as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and trails Philadelphia (13-2) and Minnesota (12-3). The Niners have already clinched the NFC West so will host a playoff game and at worst finish as the No. 3 seed since each member of the NFC South can’t catch up to them.

The Raiders (6-9) are mathematically still alive to reach the postseason but would need a miracle from the five teams they trail. Josh McDaniels’ team is No. 12 in the seedings with just two games to go.

The current states of the two teams are polar opposites at the moment. Kyle Shanahan’s team has found a diamond in the rough in rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. 

McDaniels announced earlier this week he was benching longtime-starter Derek Carr for Jarrett Stidham. Carr has been the team’s starter since 2014 when he was drafted in the second round. 

The Fresno State product will leave the team to not cause distractions for the last two games on the schedule.

The 49ers are coming off a 37-20 win over the Commanders. Vegas enters the game after falling 13-10 to Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.

The current moneyline odds for this matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook are San Francisco (-450) vs. Las Vegas (+360). The bookies favor the 49ers as 9.5-point favorites at -110 odds. 

Among the public, 85% of the money has been placed on San Francisco to cover the spread, while 98% of the bets remain on its side to win outright. The game total for the contest is set at 42.5 points.

Players to watch in the 49ers vs. Raiders contest

San Francisco

George Kittle: The Pro Bowler is widely considered to be the best blocking tight end in football. Kittle has recently found a spark with Purdy and has scored four touchdowns in his last two outings. The former Iowa Hawkeye has recorded 52 receptions for 713 yards and eight touchdowns this campaign.

Las Vegas

Davante Adams: The superstar wide receiver posted on Instagram defending Derek Carr after being benched and clearly showed his dismay. Adams is tied for the lead in touchdowns (12) by wide receivers and has posted 1,290 yards (6th) this season. He has struggled his last two games totaling just six catches for 43 yards.

Our NFL bet of the week for the 49ers vs. Raiders

ESTNN is providing bettors with two free selections for this game.

San Francisco vs. Las Vegas Alternate Spread: 49ers -6.5 @ -167 (DraftKings)

The Niners are arguably the hottest team in the NFL and have won eight-straight games. Their average margin of victory throughout the winning streak has been 16.6 points. 

Shanahan has built one of the most balanced teams in the league anchored by its league-leading defense. 

San Francisco Defense

Total defense: 1st (290.3 YPG)

Scoring defense: 1st (15.3 PPG)

Run defense: 1st (75 YPG)

Offensively, the Niners boast a top-10 unit. They are scoring 25 points per game (8th) and posting 363.4 yards per game (9th). Purdy has been a large reason for the team’s success.

The last pick in the 2022 draft is 4-0 as a starter. Purdy has thrown for 912 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. 

The Iowa State product owns a passer rating of 67 which is fifth-best in the NFL. He trails only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts.

The Raiders have a mediocre defense that allows 23.3 points per game (T-23rd) and is surrendering 360.9 yards per contest (25th). On the other side of the ball, the team ranks 14th in total offense (347.6 YPG) and 12th in scoring (23.2 PPG).

The members of San Francisco’s defense likely have their mouths watering since they’ll take on the highly-inexperienced Stidham. The fourth-year pro has only thrown 61 passes (completed 32 for a 52.5% completion percentage) in his NFL career and has two touchdowns compared to four interceptions.

In his limited action, he’s earned quarterback ratings of 0.1, (2019) 12.2 (2020) and 39.8 (2022). Baker Mayfield owns the worst QBR in the NFL this season at 27.1.

San Francisco is 10-5 against the spread through Week 16 and is 6-0 ATS in its last six games. The Raiders are 7-8 ATS in 2022 and 1-4 ATS in their last five matchups against the 49ers.

At ESTNN, we believe it’s wise to take the 49ers to cover an alternate 6.5-point spread. DraftKings is offering -167 odds for the selection.

bet on NFL with draftkings >

49ers vs. Raiders odds: Christian McCaffrey anytime touchdown scorer @ -185 (Caesars)

The “jack of all trades” tailback has scored at least one touchdown in each of his previous four games. The 49ers traded second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to Carolina for McCaffrey and have taken advantage of his skillset. 

McCaffrey’s last four games

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)

Since becoming the primary back for San Francisco in week eight, the Stanford product has had 28 total red zone touches (23 rushes and 5 receptions). The Niners should have an easy day against the Raiders’ weak defense which promotes both carries and production for the Pro Bowler.

Our pick is to wager on McCaffrey to find the end zone at Caesars Sportsbook (-185). If you’re interested in learning about more prop bets for week 17, read our NFL player props page.

Bet on NFL with caesars >