NFL Playoff Betting -- Are the 49ers destined for another Super Bowl trip?

  • In Charles Jay
  • Sat, Jan 14th, 2023 10:10:23 am
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


There are plenty of expectations surrounding the San Francisco 49ers, even with a rookie quarterback, as they embark on their NFL playoff bid on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.

As BetOnline patrons are no doubt aware, the San Francisco 49ers have been through a circuitous route on their way to the NFC West championship. They started the season with an untested Young quarterback, sparking a controversy of sorts. Then they turned to a proven veteran who put them on the right path.

But after injuries to both of them, they’re back to a youngster again. This one, Brock Purdy, is a raw rookie who was, in fact, the last player picked in the draft.

Could Purdy possibly lead this team to a Super Bowl title? Everything else seems to be in place for San Francisco. Well, first things first, as Purdy makes his first NFL playoff start at Levi's Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as they play host to the Seattle Seahawks at 4:30 PM Eastern time.

Purdy has been incredibly poised and steady, hitting on 67% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He is the first quarterback to win each of his first five NFL starts since Ben Roethlisberger. He may have started out as “Mr. Irrelevant,“ but circumstances have demonstrated that he’s extremely relevant now.

When you look around the NFL and the 14 teams that are in the playoffs, there's little question at the Niners are the most well-rounded team. They’ve got explosiveness on offense and a sensational stop unit, and many observers seem to think that all of this is way too much for the Seahawks to handle.

There wasn’t a lot of talk like that in the early part of the schedule, as Trey Lance, who was handed the QB job in training camp, struggled. But then Lance suffered a season ending injury, prompting head coach Kyle Shanahan to call upon Jimmy Garoppolo, who had gone to a Super Bowl and an NFC championship game over the previous three seasons. Garoppolo help San Francisco establish superiority in the NFC West, as they passed Seattle up in the standings.

But then, against Miami, Garoppolo suffered his own season ending injury, and has most likely taken his last snap as a member of the 49ers. In stepped Purdy, the rookie from Iowa State. And the engine kept running.

In the NFL playoff betting odds posted on this game by the folks at BetOnline, San Francisco is a considerable favorite:

San Francisco 49ers -9.5 (-116)
Seattle Seahawks +9.5 (-104)

Over 42 points -113
Under 42 points -107

Burdy certainly has all the weapons in place, and with the exception of the quarterback position, this team looks healthier than it’s been all season long. Deebo Samuel is back in the lineup, and as a guy who can split out wide and do spot duty in the backfield, he’s about as dynamic as it gets. Brandon Aiyuk had 1015 receiving yards. George Kittle was just named second team All-Pro at the tight end spot.

And general manager John Lynch pulled the trigger on a trade that might make all the difference when all is said and done. Christian McCaffrey, the star rushing-receiving threat, came over from Carolina and has posted 1210 total yards from scrimmage. San Francisco also has great depth in the backfield, as Elijah Mitchell, who had an outstanding rookie campaign in 2021, has returned from injury. And then, of course, there’s All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who graded out higher than anybody and will undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame someday.

On defense, you probably won’t find a better unit, at least in the NFC. San Francisco is best in the NFL in points AND yards allowed per game. They allowerd just 3.4 yards per carry and they are fourth best in the league in yards per pass attempt allowed. They rushed the passer with plenty of abandon; Nick Bosa had 18.5 sacks and also recorded 48 quarterback knockdowns. Both of those figures led the league.

Now let’s consider that Seattle is starting rookies at each of the offensive tackle positions. That might not be an advantageous situation for them. And you can count on defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans of the Niners (who'll get some head coaching interviews) to exploit that.

In two meetings this season, Seattle amassed only 493 total yards, 106 of them on the ground. And they only scored 23 points, while Geno Smith suffered five sacks. The first meeting in particular was a dominant effort by San Francisco, as Seattle only scored on the return of a blocked field goal. This is going to be a tough nut to crack for them.

Purdy has played in six games, including the first one when he had to jump into action against Miami. In those games, San Francisco has averaged 33.5 points. So their offensive production has not exactly taken a dip. It not only bodes well for them on Saturday, it’s a pretty good sign for a team that is hopeful of going back to the Super Bowl.


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