Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NFL

Prediction published on 01/12/2023, 16:25  by Matthew Newman in NFL Predictions

The two best teams in the NFC, the 8-3 San Francisco 49ers take on the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday. If you have never watched an NFL game before, this contest is the perfect starting point. This is a rematch of the NFC Championship game from last season. The Eagles ran out easy 31-7 winners in that contest last January but the 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury in the opening quarter. He was forced to return later in the game when his replacement had a concussion. That was the second year in a row that the 49ers have made the NFC decider without winning after they did triumph in 2019. The Eagles would go on to be beaten in the Super Bowl by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles are off to a 10-1 start this season, digging deep to see off the Buffalo Bills in a thriller last Sunday. That followed up wins over the Cowboys and a revenge mission in Kansas. They probably still don’t get the respect that they deserve as their wins tend to be hard fought and by narrow margins. 

The 49ers have been streaky so far, getting off to a 5-0 start before losing three in a row and then winning their last three to get themselves back on track. With just 170 points given up, the 49ers boast the strongest defence in the league and in Purdy they have a quality quarterback. Purdy leads the league in passer rating, yards per completion and pass completion percentage. The first and last named are at levels that would be top 20 all time marks in a single season if the year ended now. The aerial attack is set up to perfectly accompany running back Christian McCaffrey who is the leading touchdown scorer in the league with 16 this season. It was a shock to see them lose those three games given that they are the most complete team in the league with two of those losses coming on the road at the Browns and Vikings. Points are hard to come by in a 49ers game and that might well be the case again here with scoring at a slower rate than in most Eagles games keeping the game tight. The Eagles are masters at winning tight games which will be a big help to them here.