Love, Packers Seek Another Upset in Divisional Round vs 49ers
Packers vs 49ers Expert Pick: SF Holding Steady at -9.5
The Green Bay Packers are moving on. After their stunning Wild Card upset of Dallas, the Packers now turn their attention to the NFC Divisional Round, where they’ll visit the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers on Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET).
San Francisco has held steady as a 9.5-point favorite and -450 on the moneyline. Conversely, Green Bay is +360 to win outright. The projected total is 50.5, down slightly from 51.5.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both NFL teams and give our Packers vs 49ers expert pick.
Packers vs 49ers 
Day/Time:
Location: Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, Calif.
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Super Bowl or Bust for Niners
San Francisco opened +900 to win the Super Bowl and has climbed as high as its current price of +175. Those are the shortest odds on the board, with Baltimore next in line at +290. The 49ers are also -185 to win the NFC, the only team in either conference with better than even NFL odds.
It’s no secret why. The 49ers are arguably the NFL’s most complete team. They’ve gone 7-2 since the Week 9 bye, with one of those losses coming in Week 18 to the Rams with Sam Darnold at quarterback. They had five wins over playoff teams and amassed a plus-193 point differential, third in the NFL behind the Ravens (+203) and Cowboys (+194).
NFL injuries may have been a concern at one point, but the 49ers are relatively healthy now. Star running back Christian McCaffrey, who sat out Week 18 with a sore calf, returned to practice on Tuesday without any limitations. That’s good news for the 49ers — and bad news for everyone else.
Gotta Love Jordan
The Packers throttled Dallas 48-32 as 7-point underdogs to snap the Cowboys’ 16-game win streak at AT&T Stadium. Their reward is a date with the top seed in the NFC playoff standings, not to mention the Super Bowl favorite. But the Packers can’t be discounted now.
Jordan Love’s evolution into a star has been mesmerizing. The former No. 1 pick threw three touchdowns against Dallas and has 12 touchdowns and no interceptions over his last five games. The Packers are 4-1 and averaging 30.2 points during that span. Not bad for a quarterback who’d been practically written off after a subpar start to the season.
Since Sunday, Green Bay’s Super Bowl odds have soared from +8000 to +2500. Comparatively speaking, the Packers are still a longshot. However, it’s no question that Love’s upside tips the scales at bit. It certainly did against Dallas.
Green Bay covered for the third straight game and improved to 7-4 ATS and 6-5 OU as an underdog. It also went Over the total for the eighth time in 10 games. Its 11 wins against the Over/Under are tied for second-most in the NFL standings behind Cleveland’s 12. Keep that in mind when analyzing our Packers vs 49ers expert pick.
The Packers came out of that game relatively healthy, with few existing concerns on the injury report. Backup running back AJ Dillon did not practice Tuesday after missing the Wild Card win with a neck injury and fractured thumb. Aaron Jones led the Packers with 21 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
McCaffrey a Full-Go
San Francisco is the NFC’s team-to-beat, and with good reason. Most of its key NFL players have had two weeks of rest thanks to the first-round bye. That’s a scary proposition for the Packers, especially on a short turnaround.
The 49ers are terrific offensively. They’re averaging 30.3 points over their last nine games. They scored 30 points or more four times during that span and twice surpassed 40. Over the course of the regular season, only Miami averaged more.
Keeping McCaffrey healthy is essential. McCaffrey remains an indispensable part of the 49ers’ offense. The three-time All-Pro ran for a league-high 1,459 yards and scored 21 touchdowns, including 14 rushing. The 49ers were 6-1 when he rushed for 100 yards or more.
The 49ers also may get back defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Armstead missed the last five NFL games with a foot injury but returned to limited practice on Tuesday. The nine-year veteran would be a big addition to a defense that’s tasked with slowing down Jones and the NFL’s 15th-ranked rushing attack.
San Francisco has been favored in every game this NFL season, including by as many as 14.5. It went 9-8 ATS but has failed to cover in five straight home games. Interestingly, it’s been far more profitable on the road where it is 6-3 ATS. That’s important to remember when assessing our Packers vs 49ers expert pick.
What Trends Say
Although No. 1 seeds historically have a decided edge in the divisional round, a majority have struggled to cover for bettors. In fact, visiting teams are 26-14-1 ATS against the top seed in this round.
Interestingly, last year also marked the first time since Super Bowl 52 in which the top seeds in both conferences wound up making the Super Bowl.
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