2023 NFC Championship Game prediction, odds, spread, start time: Eagles vs. 49ers picks by expert on 37-22 run
Only four teams remain alive in the pursuit of the Super Bowl 57 title, and the 2023 NFC Championship Game is set for Sunday. Lincoln Financial Field will host the matchup between the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles and No. 2 San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles and 49ers meet for the second time in playoff history and the first time since 1996. Philadelphia posted a 14-3 record in the regular season and throttled the New York Giants by a 31-point margin a week ago. San Francisco is on a 12-game winning streak, building on a 13-4 regular season record with postseason victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Eagles as 2.5-point home favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 45.5 in the latest 49ers vs. Eagles odds. Before you make any Eagles vs. 49ers picks and NFL playoff predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's resident Eagles expert, Emory Hunt, has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is also a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette, which gives him a nuanced perspective of the X's and O's of the game from a player's perspective. Hunt is also uniquely dialed into the Philadelphia Eagles, posting a 37-22-1 record in the last 60 selections and returning more than $1,200 to bettors. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Hunt has set his sights on 49ers vs. Eagles and just locked in his coveted NFL picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NFL odds and betting lines for 49ers vs. Eagles:
- 49ers vs. Eagles spread: Eagles -2.5
- 49ers vs. Eagles over/under: 45.5 points
- 49ers vs. Eagles money line: Eagles -145, 49ers +122
- SF: 49ers are 9-1 against the spread in last 10 games
- PHL: Eagles are 7-3 against the spread in home games
- 49ers vs. Eagles picks: See picks here
Why the 49ers can cover
The 49ers are 7-0 with Brock Purdy under center, and are loaded with weapons at the skill positions, headlined by Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. San Francisco is even better on defense, however, and that manifests with the NFL's top marks in scoring defense (16.3 points allowed per game) and total defense (300.6 yards allowed per game) during the regular season. The 49ers give up only 1.45 yards per drive, and are highly opportunistic. The 49ers produced 30 takeaways during the regular season, second-most in the NFL, and generated a turnover on 15.3% of defensive possessions.
San Francisco is also stable, giving up only 17.1 first downs per game, and is elite against the run. The 49ers gave up 77.7 rushing yards per game in the regular season, No. 2 in the NFL, which included only 3.4 yards allowed per carry. San Francisco has the fewest missed tackles (47) on running plays in the entire league, and no player has reached 70 rushing yards in a game against the team. See which team to pick here.
Why the Eagles can cover
With Jalen Hurts at the helm, the Eagles are 15-1 this season. Philadelphia is also elite on defense, holding the New York Giants to 227 total yards and only seven points in its playoff opener. During the regular season, the Eagles were No. 2 in the NFL in total defense, giving up only 301.5 yards per game. Philadelphia led the league in passing yards allowed (179.8 per game) and net yards allowed per attempt (4.9), with opponents mustering only an 81.6 passer rating.
The Eagles had Pro Football Focus' No. 1 pass rush grade this season, and led the NFL with 70 sacks. The closest team finished with only 55 sacks, illustrating Philadelphia's pass-rushing dominance. The Eagles also produced 27 takeaways with a 15.1% turnover creation rate. Philadelphia became the first team in history with four players to reach 10 sacks and has 39 in the last seven games. Haason Reddick is the centerpiece in producing 17.5 sacks, second-most in the NFL, including the playoffs. See which team to pick here.
How to make 49ers vs. Eagles picks
Hunt has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Sunday's Eagles vs. 49ers NFC Championship Game 2023 showdown? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Hunt's 2023 NFC Championship Game picks, all from the expert who's 37-22 on Eagles picks, and find out.
