49ers vs. Eagles NFL Week 2 Picks and Predictions

The San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles were big winners in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, but only one side will continue the momentum this Sunday. According to the oddsmakers, the Niners are best-placed to extend their winning run of form, despite being on the road. Do the top sportsbooks have it right? Or will the Eagles deliver a second-straight upset and send seismic shockwaves through NFL betting markets?

San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday, September 19, 2021 - 1:00 PM ET at Financial Lincoln Stadium

Garoppolo Shines in Niners Win

After all the drama with San Francisco 49ers drafting Trey Lance at No.3 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, Jimmy Garoppolo silenced his critics with a stellar performance in the Niners’ commanding 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. When all was said and done, the game wasn’t as close as the score suggested. Had the Niners not taken the foot off the pedal in the fourth quarter, at the expense of the cover as the closing 9.5-point road faves, the Lions might not have put up 15 points in the final stanza.

The Lions went into the 2021 NFL season as one of the longshot NFL picks for Super Bowl 56, meaning the matchup was always going to favor the Niners in Week 1 of the NFL season. Nevertheless, the Niners were solid as they romped to the convincing win on the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_AwOGj9DnU

The Niners improved to a 1-0-0 record on the season, but slipped to a 0-1-0 ATS record. All four teams in the NFC West emerged winners at the close of Week 1 of the NFL season, underscoring just how competitive the division is going to be this season.

Garoppolo went 17-of-25 for 314 passing yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He did have a lost fumble, but he kept his composure and bounced back quickly. His heir apparent, Trey Lance, went 1-of-1 for 5 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Mitchell led the rushing offense with 104 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown while Raheem Mostert went for 20 yards on two receptions. Deebo Samuel was the breakout star with 189 yards receiving on nine receptions and one touchdown. Trent Sherfield added another touchdown with 23 yards on two receptions.

Hurts Shines in Eagles Win

The Philadelphia Eagles defied the NFL odds to emerge triumphant in Week 1. But how much stock should bettors put into a 32-6 win over an Atlanta Falcons side that repeatedly flatters to deceive? Not much.

This isn’t to take away from the Eagles, who played their hearts out on Sunday. Hurts went 27-of-35 for 264 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He also added 62 rushing yards to his day’s output. De’Vonta Smith led the Eagles with 71 yards receiving on six receptions and one touchdown. Jalen Reagor and Dallas Goddert, in the meanwhile, combined for 91 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The defense wasn’t too shabby either, holding the Falcons offense to merely six points and sacking Ryan three times.

Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images/AFP

NFL Betting Predictions

The first week of the NFL season is often misleading and not entirely indicative of what’s to come. The Niners and Eagles emerged winners over two of the league’s worst teams according to the bookmakers – both the Lions and Falcons were longshots in the betting. So, it’s impossible to buy what the Niners or the Eagles are selling right now.

Having said that, the Niners are the better team where pure talent, depth, skill and coaching knowhow are concerned. The Eagles are a rebuilding project that may or may not work with the newly formed union between head coach Nick Sirriani and Jalen Hurts.

For the second-straight week, the Niners are on the road. That’s something to take into consideration when betting on this game. However, Mike Shanahan and Garoppolo have been here before. In 2019, the Niners started out with a tough road stretch at the start of the season, only to defy the NFL odds and surprise the punditocracy by emerging as the No.1 seed at the end of the regular season. The Niners then took it all the way to Super Bowl 54 (l. to Kansas City Chiefs).

As per multiple betting sites, the Niners are at the advantage and laying 3.5 points on the NFL odds board. There’s even talk of a close game between the Niners and the Eagles amongst many NFL betting experts, closer than the odds would suggest. However, if the basis of that assumption is the win over the Falcons, it’s quite a flimsy handle to hang one’s hat on. Don’t be surprised if this game results in a total blowout by the Niners. As mentioned above, they have the talent, the offensive weapons, the vaunted defense and the coaching experience to get the big win on the road.

NFL Pick: (visit our Sportsbook Review)

*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.