49ers vs. Eagles: 2023 NFC Championship Picks & Predictions (Sunday)

Jan 27, 2023 - 1:53 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will play in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday for the third time in four seasons, but a bigger prize is on the line against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This time around, QB Brock Purdy unexpectedly made history by winning his first two postseason starts, making him just the third rookie quarterback to do it. The top-seeded Eagles will now be Purdy’s focus as he looks to do what the two QBs he replaced could not in earning the 49ers Super Bowl LVI.

2023 NFL Playoffs Conference Championships Betting Guide >>

(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

49ers vs. Eagles: Best 2023 NFL NFC Championship Bets

Details

• Opening Line: Eagles -2 | O/U 45.5
• Current Line: Eagles -2.5 | O/U 46.5
• Last meeting: Sept. 19, 2021 – 49ers 17, Eagles 11

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San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Overview

Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury and Trey Lance’s ankle injury opened up a window of opportunity, and Purdy took advantage of it, culminating (thus far) by defeating the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs. The only rookie quarterbacks to win their first two playoff starts were Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008-09 and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets in 2009-10.

On the other side, the top-seeded Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni expressed admiration for Purdy’s ascent and mentioned that his team had watched the former Iowa State standout while he was a student.

The number of sacks by Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick (16), defensive ends Josh Sweat (11) and Brandon Graham (11), plus defensive lineman Javon Hargrave (11) will be Purdy’s major concern for Sunday.  The defense also features safety C.J. Johnson-Gardner, who tied for a league-high six interceptions, and DT Fletcher Cox, who has seven sacks of his own.

The boisterous Philadelphia crowd, which will produce commotion all night long, is also a major factor.

Jalen Hurts, a star runner who has developed into a great thrower, is the quarterback for the Eagles and a finalist for the NFL MVP award. During the regular season, Hurts rushed for 13 and passed for 22 touchdowns. Hurts led Philadelphia to a 38-7 victory over the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Round by throwing for two touchdowns and running for one.

Hurts anticipates a tough test against the 49ers, who topped the NFL in both scoring defense (16.3 points per game) and overall defense (300.6 yards per game). Nick Bosa of San Francisco is a nominee for the Defensive Player of the Year award after recording an NFL-high 18.5 sacks.

Bottom Line

Following the walkthrough on Wednesday, Philadelphia classified just two players as limited: cornerback Avonte Maddox (groin) and offensive tackle Lane Johnson (toe). For the 49ers, the injuries are a bit more concerning, as Elijah Mitchell (groin) and Christian McCaffrey (calf), San Francisco’s top two running backs, were both out from practice on Wednesday.

The Eagles are peaking at the right time, and get this one done at home.

Pick: Eagles -2.5 (-110)

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