NFC Championship Game Props: Aiyuk to Get Going Early for 49ers?

Ailing Shoulder and All, Jalen Hurts Will Hit the Ground Running

With the Philadelphia Eagles looking like the best NFL team in the NFC and perhaps even in the NFL for most of the season and the San Francisco 49ers taking a 12-game winning streak into this weekend, Sunday’s NFC championship game could be one for the ages.

The good news is that the weather doesn’t figure to play an issue because late January NFL games in Philadelphia can be tricky at times.

The Eagles are 2.5-point favorites and keep an eye on that number to see if it moves.

One of the biggest difference between the teams is how they start games. The Eagles have opened the scoring with touchdowns nine times compared to just three for the 49ers. That is something that could come into play when considering the NFC championship game props.

Keep on reading for some prop bets to consider based on the trends of the last two teams standing in the NFC.

Aiyuk Has a Nose For the End Zone

This has been an unusual season for the 49ers with losses to the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons before they started to roll.

Ray-Ray McCloud has scored the 49ers’ first touchdown more times than George Kittle or Deebo Samuel. Ross Dwelley, Jeff Wilson (who isn’t even on the team), Tevin Coleman, Kyle Juszczyk, Jauan Jennings had the first TD for the 49ers as many times as either Kittle or Samuel.

One player who has not had trouble finding the end zone early in games has been Brandon Aiyuk and he could be a favorite when it comes to those betting on the NFC championship game props.

Five times the first TD scored by a San Francisco player came courtesy of an Aiyuk catch. With that in mind, it is worth going with Aiyuk adding to that total on Sunday.

McCaffrey, Samuel and Kittle are all ahead of Aiyuk in the odds to score the first touchdown for the 49ers so why not take a chance on Aiyuk striking first again with a price of +700?

Tight Ends to Be Involved

There are plenty of offensive players being undervalued in this one according to the NFC championship game props.

Samuel comes in at -125 to go over 50.5 receiving yards and -105 to finish under that total.

Philadelphia’s 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith check in at 68.5 and 67.5 receiving yards. While opponents have a passer rating in the 30s when targeting San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, they have had more success going against Charvarius Ward and Jimmie Ward so that could open up opportunities for the two electrifying Eagles receivers.

With it likely harder to run against the 49ers than it was against the New York Giants, those are prop bets worthy of jumping on; however, the starting tight ends are the NFL players who are being undersold a bit.

Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert is priced at -120 to go over 45.5 receiving yards with San Francisco’s George Kittle at -110 to top 47.5 receiving yards. Expect both of them to be heavily involved in this matchup and those numbers will be tempting bait for sure.

Kittle is coming off a playoff career-high 95 receiving yards and will look to build on that. In Goedert’s last three postseason contests, he has 73, 92 and 58 yards.

Hurts Ready To Rumble

Yes, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is nursing a sore shoulder; however, chances to reach the Super Bowl don’t come around every year.

Six times during the NFL season, Hurts ran it in for the Eagles’ first touchdown so don’t be surprised if he keeps the ball when the Eagles approach the end zone. That is one of the bets to consider when it comes to the NFC championship game props.

It should be noted when venturing into NFL prop betting that the Eagles gave up the first points just five times in 18 games while eight times the opponents scored first on the 49ers.

Hurts is tied with receiver A.J. Brown with +400 odds to score Philadelphia’s first touchdown and that seems like the best way to proceed.

Getting His Kicks

In each of the first two playoff games for the 49ers, the first points came on field goals by the reliable Robbie Gould. Gould went 4 for 4 on field goals in each of the first two NFL playoff games and in his last nine postseason games, he is 23 for 23 on field goals.

When looking at NFL betting trends, Gould also opened the scoring three times during the regular season. It is worth considering that not once in the first 18 games of the season did the first points in an Eagles game come off the foot of the opposing team’s kicker. However, there is a first time for everything.

While the Eagles ‘opening the game with a touchdown’ is priced at +175, it might be worth going with the first points coming from a 49ers field goal as that is currently at +370.

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