49ers vs Packers prediction, preview, picks, betting odds

The No. 1-seeded San Francisco 49ers will be taking the field for the first time this NFL playoffs, and they get an unexpected divisional round opponent in the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers.

The Packers were able to pull off a stunning upset over the Dallas Cowboys during last weekend’s wildcard round, and they’ll look to keep the magic going as underdogs this week against another tough opponent in the 49ers.

Below I’ll analyze each team and tie it all together with a final score pick and a best bet for this exciting divisional round contest.

Reasons to like the 49ers

The 49ers were dominant for much of the regular season, and it began with their ability to control the line of scrimmage with an elite rushing attack on offense complemented by one of the best defenses at defending the run. The 49ers also have the ability to stretch the field on offense with second-year quarterback Brock Purdy knowing how to utilize their strong cast of weapons in Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Purdy was cool under pressure last season in the playoffs as a young quarterback, and McCaffrey should be able to thrive as a runner this week considering that the Packers run defense ranked in the bottom of the NFL this season. Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been hot this past month or so along with veteran running back Aaron Jones, but they haven’t had to face a defense on the level of the 49ers during that stretch, so they’ll likely have their hands full against Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and company.

Reasons to like the Packers

The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL, and they’ve been dangerous as a potential Cinderella story that’s been playing with house money essentially. Jordan Love wasn’t expected to be leading a playoff run with this young Packers team, but he's caught fire down the stretch after an inconsistent regular season and is looking to prove that he’s next great Packers quarterback after Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. While Love is still far from etching himself in that group, his performance has been impressive as a first-year starter and could give the 49ers defense some trouble considering he’s got quality weapons to work with in Aaron Jones, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and possibly Christian Watson, who’s return would be a welcome sight after the deep threat missed the past few weeks with a hamstring injury. The Packers defense has also performed better lately now that they’re healthier.

The bottom line

The 49ers are always tough to beat at home, and while it’s sometimes common for a team to start off slow coming off a bye week, I don’t expect that to be the case here. The Packers might be able to keep things somewhat close early on considering how locked in they’ve been recently, but I see the talent gap being too wide for them to be a serious threat as far as pulling the outright upset, especially the Packers defense compared to the 49ers offense. 9.5 points is a large number for a playoff game, but I feel confident in the 49ers winning by double digits considering how stacked their starting lineup is on both sides of the ball.

The pick: 49ers 42, Packers 20

Betting line: Packers (+9.5, +330) at 49ers (-425), 50.5 O/U

Best bet: 49ers -9.5 (-112)

Odds in the market as of Saturday, Jan. 20