The San Francisco 49ers will be taking on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Wild Card Round on Sunday, January 11. We try to dive into all of the standalone games throughout the NFL season and the NFL Playoffs won’t be any different. So keep reading for a 49ers vs. Eagles betting preview. Also, make sure you head over to our NFL Wild Card Weekend Betting Hub for a look at all of our NFL betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch 49ers vs. Eagles
When: Sunday, January 11 at 4:30 pm ET
Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Channel: FOX
49ers vs. Eagles Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Thursday, January 8. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Eagles -238, 49ers +195
Spread: Eagles -5.5 (-105), 49ers +5.5 (-115)
Total: Over 44.5 (-110), Under 44.5 (-110)
49ers vs. Eagles Analysis
In looking at our VSiN betting splits pages, we have seen some interesting betting behavior here. While most of the spread tickets at DraftKings Sportsbook are on the 49ers, the Eagles have moved from -3.5 to -5.5. That’s some serious reverse line movement, suggesting big money on Philadelphia from the sharps. The activity at Circa Sports has been similar, with San Francisco moving from +4 to +5.5 despite taking a majority of the bets.
I’m a little surprised the public is so eager to back the 49ers. I can’t say I’m upset about it, as I’m always happy to zig while others are zagging. However, it genuinely is a little shocking given everything we’ve seen from San Francisco lately. While the 49ers finished the season having won six of their final seven games, the team’s defense fell apart towards the end of the year. San Francisco allowed Indianapolis and Chicago to move the ball however they wanted towards the end of the regular season. Then, when the 49ers finally put together a decent defensive effort in a Week 18 meeting with the Seahawks, the offense fell apart. San Francisco had a chance to win the division, but the team put up only three points in a 10-point loss.
It’s now difficult to trust the 49ers in a meeting with an Eagles team that is quite strong on both sides of the ball. Philadelphia was actually a top-five unit when looking at EPA per play allowed (-0.114) from Week 9 on, looking strong against both the run and the pass. And I think that’s where this game gets tricky for San Francisco. The 49ers are going to need to come up with the goods offensively, but I’m not sure they’re capable of doing so against this Vic Fangio defense. San Francisco’s running game has been inefficient this entire season, and Philadelphia’s defensive line should prevent big pick-ups on the ground. I also don’t exactly trust Brock Purdy to deliver consistently with his arm — especially in a tough road atmosphere, in non-ideal conditions.
I also think a meeting with this 49ers defense will make the Eagles offense look a lot better than it is. San Francisco’s secondary is just miserable right now, so this could be a game in which Jalen Hurts consistently puts it on AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Eagles have run a conservative offense for most of this season, but sometimes it’s as simple as chucking the ball down the field and allowing your star receivers to make plays. And this is the right defense to try that against.
This Eagles team has also been very kind to bettors when playing at home under Nick Sirianni. Since he took over, Philadelphia is 19-5 straight-up and 17-6-1 against the spread as a home favorite of 7 or fewer points. Meanwhile, under Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco is a lousy 8-22 SU and 14-16 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points.
49ers vs. Eagles Player Props
Lean: A.J. Brown Over 65.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
I don’t believe in the 49ers finding a way to keep this passing game in check, so I’d be looking to Brown props here. The big, talented wide receiver finished the season having at least 68 yards in five of the final six games. He definitely had his struggles early in the year — and certainly looked upset on the sidelines — but he found his chemistry with Hurts late. So, in a win-or-go-home matchup, I’d be surprised if Hurts doesn’t lock in on his No. 1 target.
49ers vs. Eagles Pick
A lot of people downplayed what the Patriots did this season, citing a bad schedule as the reason for New England’s resurgent year. However, I’d argue that San Francisco was this year’s one true fraud, and I think the 49ers went out and proved that in a home game against the Seahawks last week. I simply don’t trust this San Francisco team to perform at a high level in this venue, and I trust Philly to show up — as this group has consistently done in the postseason.
Bet: Eagles -4.5 (-110)
