No team in the NFL scored more than the 49ers during Week 1. Yes, it was the Lions. That doesn’t take away from Brandon Aiyuk missing the game.
The Eagles had an impressive performance themselves as they beat up the Falcons 32-6.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, San Francisco opens up as 3.5-point favorites on the road, with the total on the game set at 50. That’s Vegas predicting a score in the ballpark of 27-24, Niners.
The look-ahead line for this game had the 49ers anywhere from -4 to -4.5, so there wasn’t much of an overreaction to San Francisco’s letdown finish or Philly’s blowout victory.
We’ll get into more about this matchup as the week goes on, but I like the 49ers here. Jalen Hurts was impressive on the surface, but he wasn’t asked to do much, and he shied away from the middle of the field. Plus, let’s not sugarcoat it; the Falcons are terrible.
Atlanta’s defense finished with the second-worst success rate on defense during Week 1. Conversely, the Eagles had the highest defensive success rate. Obviously, there are greater factors, but those two stats don’t transfer week to week, especially against a team like the 49ers.
I watched the game on Monday, and the score was 15-6 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. Up until that point, Philadelphia had six drives and punted on two of them while also turning it over on two others. So I’m more inclined to believe that’s the version of the Eagles we’ll see.
While Philadelphia’s defense may not slow down the 49ers, their offense could give a secondary that’s starting at least one new cornerback issues with their speed and athleticism.
I could see another shootout with the Niners ultimately pulling away in the fourth quarter.