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The Giants-49ers line was steady all week at -3.5 in favor of San Francisco. You can bet this game at Sportsbook.com here. Claim up to $250 in free cash.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: San Fran -3.5 & 42.5
Opening Line & Total: 49ers -3.5 & 42.5
Two of the NFC’s best teams square off in San Francisco when the Giants pay a cross-country visit to the 49ers.
Both these teams are playing as well as any team in the NFL not located in Green Bay, but San Francisco matches up very well against New York. The 49ers offense relies on the running game, going for 178 YPG and 5.5 YPC over their past five games. But the Giants’ front four is built to rush the passer, and they’ve been burned by the run in recent weeks, allowing 147 YPG and 5.1 YPC over their past six games. San Fran should be able to keep the red-hot Eli Manning off the field, and it has the defense to force the sometimes error-prone Manning into some mistakes. The Giants could still be without their top two offensive skill players (RB Ahmad Bradshaw and WR Hakeem Nicks), and the Niners are a perfect 7-0-1 ATS this year.
The Giants didn’t let the absence of Bradshaw (foot) and Nicks (hamstring) affect them last week as they won their third straight game, all against AFC East opponents. New York threw for 250 yards and ran for another 111 yards in the 24-20 win at New England. RB Brandon Jacobs was able to handle a heavy workload, carrying the ball 18 times and catching four passes for a total of 100 yards. TE Jake Ballard also came up huge on the final drive with an unbelievable catch over the middle and the game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. QB Eli Manning has only been sacked once during the win streak, throwing for 891 yards, 4 TD and only 1 INT in the three games.
The Giants pass rush continues to dominate with a league-high 28 sacks, including 20 in the past five games. The defense has also totaled 18 takeaways, which is tied for the fifth-most defensive turnovers in the NFL. Before allowing 332 passing yards to Tom Brady and the Patriots, the Giants held the previous five opponents to 202 passing YPG.
The 49ers have out-rushed their past five opponents by a whopping average of 102 YPG (178 to 76). RB Frank Gore has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of these five games, combining for 634 yards (127 YPG) and four touchdowns. QB Alex Smith continues to play sound football, completing 64.1% of his passes and throwing for 10 TD and just 2 INT for the entire season. TE Vernon Davis leads the team in receptions, catching 31 of the 38 passes thrown his way this year.
The 49ers defense continues to punish opponents on a weekly basis, leading the NFL in rushing defense (70.8 YPG) and placing tops in the NFC in total defense (326 total YPG). Much of this success comes from creating turnovers, as San Francisco has posted five games of 3+ turnovers and has totaled 19 takeaways this season. Buffalo (20) is the only NFL team with more defensive turnovers than San Francisco.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
