The NFC Championship is finally here as the San Francisco 49ers and the Eagles have kicked off in Philadelphia. This is the first meeting between these two teams since Week 2 in 2021. The 49ers won, 17-11, but much has changed since then.
Jalen Hurts has evolved into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and then the 49ers found a different starting signal-caller altogether in Brock Purdy, who was selected with the very last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. These two quarterbacks have faced off before, however, as they delivered a Big 12 classic back in 2019, where both quarterbacks combined for 11 total touchdowns.
These are two of the -- if not the most -- well-rounded teams in the NFL. The 49ers' defense and the Eagles' offense both ranked first among NFC teams in points per game and yards per game this season. Who comes out on top Sunday?
Below, we examine the different betting angles for this matchup. We will provide picks from both CBS Sports and SportsLine experts on this NFC showdown, as well as a few player props that we view as enticing.
All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Jan. 29 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV
Odds: Eagles -2.5, O/U 46
49ers at Eagles spread picks
"Philly has an elite rush offense, so this elite San Francisco rush defense -- that matchup really could decide the game. Who gets the win there? And if the Eagles can do what they want to offensively running the ball, and it opens up the passing game then I think they're going to score points. But even if San Francisco contains Philly's run game, I think the offense has to score points against a top defense.
"When you look at these rosters, they're two very good rosters and two very good coaches up and down the board, but then you have an MVP-caliber quarterback on one side against a seventh-round rookie on the other side, and the Eagles are at home. So the Eagles, if you trust in their defense, which I do, and trust in their coaching, which I do, (I) think 2.5 is too low of a number. I make it a few points higher."
That's R.J. White's take from the Pick Six Podcast, where he, Pete Prisco and host Will Brinson broke down best bets for the games this week. Subscribe below for daily NFL talk in your feed.
"Hurts and the Eagles erased any questions we may have had about them entering the postseason, as they blew out the New York Giants by 31 points. Hurts accounted for three total touchdowns, while Kenneth Gainwell and Miles Sanders combined for 202 rushing yards. The 49ers, on the other hand, inched by the Dallas Cowboys 19-12, thanks to a 10-3 run in the fourth quarter. San Francisco's offense didn't have their best outing, but George Kittle did catch five passes for 95 yards.
"This matchup features an elite offense vs. an elite defense. The 49ers' defense and the Eagles' offense both ranked first among NFC teams in points per game and yards per game this season. Here's the thing, though: The Eagles had the No. 2 defense in the NFL this season, right behind the 49ers. They are statistically the more well-rounded team -- and have home-field advantage.
"Hurts led the NFL in completion percentage, passing touchdowns and passer rating on throws 25 or more yards downfield this season. The 49ers defense ranks 25th or worse in all of those categories. Keep an eye on big plays Sunday. Defensively, no team has recorded more sacks than the Eagles this season (75). They also recorded the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL this season behind the Cowboys. While Dallas lost to San Francisco on Sunday, Purdy had a 39.6 passer rating vs. Cowboys' pressure. Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick and the rest of the Eagles' pass rushers know what they have to do.
"With the number under a field goal, I'll take Philly. Purdy will become the fifth true rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game on Sunday. All four of the others lost."
That's Jordan Dajani's take from his conference championship column. To check out what he has to say about Bengals vs, Chiefs, click here.
"This is a game between two physical teams that have good run games and good defensive fronts. That means it's going to be decided up front, no matter how many offensive playmakers are on the field.
"The Eagles impressed last week in blowing out the Giants, while the 49ers won a close one at home against Dallas. The San Francisco offense struggled some in that game, but Brock Purdy got it going after a slow start to win his seventh straight as a starter. This, though, is a bigger challenge because it's against a better team on the road, his first road playoff start. Not only that, he's facing a defense that led the NFL in sacks with 70, two off the record. They come from all spots, too, with four players who had 10 or more sacks. Look for the Eagles to attack the right side of the 49ers offensive line, the weaker side.
"The Eagles offense had another big rushing day against the Giants, which is the basis of their offense. Jalen Hurts can throw it, but they have to be able to run it here. That's why their top-rated offensive line is key. They have to get push in the run game and keep Nick Bosa and gang off Hurts when they do throw. The 49ers linebackers can run and cover, which is a must against the Eagles offense. Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are special. They will have to be in this one.
"But I look for Hurts to outplay Purdy and lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. That Eagles offensive line and pass rush will decide this game."
CBS Sports NFL Senior Writer Pete Prisco is on the Eagles to keep on rolling. To check out his breakdown of this week's games, click here.
"The improbable Cinderella run by Brock Purdy and the 49ers has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of the 2022 season, but I see this story coming to a close on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are a tough draw for San Francisco because they are well-equipped to attack the 49ers' few weaknesses.
"Philadelphia's offense should be able to throw on this Niners secondary, particularly deep. Kyle Shanahan's defense ranks in the bottom five in the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio, and passer rating against throws 25+ yards down the field. Meanwhile, that's part of what Jalen Hurts does best. The Eagles quarterback has a passer rating of 125.0 on throws 25 or more yards downfield and has 10 touchdowns to just one interception on those throws. After a quiet divisional round, A.J. Brown should be the main beneficiary of Philly's attempt to exploit that weakness, especially with seven of his 11 receiving touchdowns this year coming on throws 25 or more yards downfield.
"Defensively, the Eagles have the personnel to slow down this Purdy-led offense. The 49ers offense leads the NFL in motion rate, yards after the catch, and attempts inside the numbers. The Eagles defense ranks top 10 in the league against all of those categories. So, what San Fran typically does best offensively, Philly can shut down. And what the Niners can't defend is what the Eagles do and do well. Those mismatches should be the game-breakers here."
Tyler Sullivan also likes the Eagles to advance to Super Bowl LVII. To read his conference championship column, click here.
Before you make any 49ers vs. Eagles picks or any other NFL predictions, you need to see which side SportsLine expert Emory Hunt is on. 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.
Now, Hunt has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for 49ers vs. Eagles. We can tell you he's leaning Over the total, but to check out his official pick on the spread, head on over to SportsLine.
49ers at Eagles total picks
Before you make any 49ers vs. Eagles picks or NFL playoff predictions, you need to check out the latest NFL predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the AFC Championship and NFC Championship of the 2023 NFL playoffs on an incredible 162-113 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It also is on a 16-6 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of this season.
The model knows Philadelphia, which was fifth in rushing during the regular season, gained 268 yards on the ground against New York last week. Second-year running back Kenneth Gainwell led the attack with a career-high 112 yards on 12 carries, while Miles Sanders ran 17 times for 90 yards.
The model also knows San Francisco has gone 7-0 since Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, took over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo as the team's starting quarterback. The 23-year-old has thrown 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions in eight contests.
Now, the model has simulated Eagles vs. 49ers 10,000 times. We can tell you it's leaning Under the total, but to see all the model has to say, head on over to SportsLine.
Player props
Robbie Gould made field goals: Over 1.5 (-123). Gould has hit this number in four out of his last five games. In fact, he's a perfect 8 for 8 on field goal attempts in the playoffs this year.
Jalen Hurts passing touchdowns: Over 1.5 (-106). The juice convinced me to take this one. Vegas believes Hurts won't get to two passing touchdowns on Sunday, as the Under is -129. Hurts threw two touchdowns against the Giants last week, and has crossed this number in nine of 16 games played this season.
A.J. Brown anytime touchdown (+135). Nick Sirianni will give Brown a red-zone target on Sunday. The former Titan tied a career high with 11 touchdown receptions this season.
