NFL Props: Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers Predictions 1/12
January 10th, 2013 byThe San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers are set to continue the 2013 NFL playoffs, and as a part of our analysis of the Divisional betting lines, we are taking a look at some of the best NFL props on the board for this crucial clash.
Will Either Team Score in the First 6:30?: We really think that there is going to be a heck of a lot of defense in this game, knowing that both of these teams have the ability to do some real damage. The 49ers are going to come out of the blocks running for sure, right into the teeth of a defense that has had a very difficult time stopping the big time rushers this season. Green Bay has to come out firing through the air, but it’s not like there is a question about that to the 49ers. This is a matchup that both of these teams have been working towards for weeks, and we think that the outcome could be a slow start. That’s not to say that there won’t be plenty of points on the board as the game wears on, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the first quarter went by without a score. No Score in the First 6:30 (-115)
Longest Field Goal Made Over/Under 43.5 Yards: It’s tough to think that these two field goal kickers, once stars of the league, are now two of the biggest goats playing in these playoffs. K David Akers nearly got released in between the end of the season and now, and K Mason Crosby has missed as many field goals in big time situations as any kicker in the league this year. That being said, both of these defenses are very hard to break, and there has to be a situation where, just outside of the red zone, one of these two clubs falters. The number that we’re used to seeing for this prop is around 45.5 or 46.5 yards, but 43.5 is just far too low. Last season, had these two teams played, this number would have easily been at least 45.5, as Akers and Crosby were booming them in from all over the place. Kickers are weird, but they’re not that weird. Expect at least one long field goal tonight. Longest Field Goal Made Over 43.5 Yards (-115)
Green Bay Packers Rushing Yards Over/Under 95: Look, this is a bad team on the ground, but it’s not THAT bad of a team on the ground. Green Bay does average over 100 rushing yards per game this year, and though we know that we aren’t getting all of the rushing yards from one back, we do get to add everything in there, and that does include whatever QB Aaron Rodgers ends up with. Forget about the fact that Green Bay hasn’t even gotten to 75 rushing yards over the course of the last two games. This is a much different situation, and unlike against Arizona and Seattle, if Green Bay doesn’t run the ball effectively in this game, Rodgers is going to get killed standing in the pocket. Green Bay Packers Over 95 Rushing Yards (+100)
Colin Kaepernick Over/Under 16.5 Pass Completions: When you look back at the course of the last several games that Kaepernick has played, you see a lot of interesting numbers. He completed 19 against Seattle, 18 against Miami, and 21 against St. Louis, whereas he had 14 against New England and 16 against Arizona. There were also a couple of 16-completion games prior to that as well. Odds have it, the 49ers aren’t going to be blowing away the Packers like they were to the Patriots for the whole second half of the game, and odds have it, they aren’t going to end up getting two defensive touchdowns like they did against the Saints. Factor those games out, and all of a sudden, it becomes clear that, more often than not, Kaepernick is going to end up getting to at least 17 or 18 completions, and we think that he’ll do that again in this one. Colin Kaepernick Over 16.5 Pass Completions (-115)
LaMichael James Over/Under 36 Rushing + Receiving Yards: Head Coach Jim Harbaugh likes to mix it up with his backs, but this is the time of year that he has been doing all of that for. The only way that James is going to end up getting at least 37 yards in this game is either if he busts a big one, or if something happens to RB Frank Gore. We expect to see Gore carry the ball at least 20 times in this game, and that might not leave a heck of a lot for James to do when push comes to shove. We know that the rookie from Oregon is explosive and has the ability to do a lot of damage, but he just won’t get more than five or six touches of the ball in all likelihood, and that just isn’t enough. LaMichael James Under 36 Rushing + Receiving Yards (-115)