(price from above)
49ers ML +130
I am taking the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. This is the more confident of my two picks for this weekend. This is tremendous value for what I believe is the best team remaining getting points against the worst team remaining.
Comparing overall season metrics between these two teams is interesting, given that on paper both of these teams are pretty stout. But this match-up is a good example of why you need to look at everything in context, and not rely on numbers
San Francisco is not the same team it was to start the year. It seems obvious to mention the pick-up of McCaffery was a big factor for their change in fortune, winning streak, but his addition can not be overstated; it was the most meaningful transaction of the season. The offense has been dynamite since he joined the roster, adding another layer of dynamic playmaking to an offense already filled with talent. As their playmaking got better, their offensive line continued to gel and get healthier, resulting in 12 consecutive victories -- most of them in dominant fashion.
Obviously the SF defense has been elite, much better than the baseline stats would indicate on the surface. They have a defensive line that is uniquely good in both pass-rushing and against the run -- something the Eagles have not come remotely close to seeing this year. They also have so much speed at linebacker, something that will help tremendously in keeping Hurts contained (as much as you can keep him contained, he's good). If the Eagles can't jump out early and establish the run, Hurts will be put into a situation that he has to win this game with arm. Problem is Niners run defense is elite and one of the best we've seen in a while, with all of their front 7 able to effective negate the run game. While that's not an impossible task by any means, that is the opposite of what the Eagles want to do in this game. This Niners defense is going to a juggernaut that Philly simply hasn't faced this year, and I believe the Eagles are going to be uncomfortable and not able to run the ball.
On the other side of the ball, I think the Niners are going to be able to run the ball effectively in this game. The strength of Philly is their pass rush, but they have proven to be very vulnerable against the run. The 49ers have the weapons and run-blocking scheme to really take advantage of Philly's weaknesses here. If the Eagles are aggressive, they are going to leave the door wide open for guys like McCaffery and Deebo to realllllly punish them. Purdy is a rookie, but there is no reason to believe at this point that he is going to make the costly rookie mistakes. Maybe this is when it finally happens, but so far Purdy has been very poised. I think Philly will be able to contain Aiyuk and Jennings to some degree, but that will probably mean they are not paying enough attention to the middle of the defense where the Niners should be able to find success.
If Purdy finally makes those rookie mistakes, then I think the Eagles have a path to victory. But to me, there's no reason to think he will. To me, the 49ers are the better team on both sides of the ball and I think they win this game outright