Top 49ers Prop Picks for NFC Championship

The San Francisco 49ers continue their unlikely journey through the NFL playoffs when they travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. Here are my best 49ers prop picks for the NFC Championship.

The 49ers are the Cinderella team of the NFL playoffs after upsetting the No. 3-seed Dallas Cowboys and top-seed Green Bay Packers to move just one game away from their second Super Bowl appearance in three years.

San Francisco gets a Rams team that it defeated in dramatic fashion in Week 18 at SoFi Stadium. The 49ers are 3.5-point underdogs as of Friday afternoon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find numerous opportunities for props on their offensive weapons.

Here are my top 49ers prop picks for their NFC Championship Game vs. the Rams (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence is based on 1-to-5 star scale).

Top 49ers Prop Picks

Deebo Samuel Over 39.5 rushing yards (-110) ????Kyle Juszczyk Over 8.5 receiving yards (-120) ???Jimmy Garoppolo Over 232.5 passing yards (-105) ??

SEE ALSO: 49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship Picks

Top 49ers Prop Predictions

Samuel Over 39.5 rushing yards (-110)

Samuel is the biggest X-factor in the NFL playoffs. With the 49ers struggling for consistency on offense after a 3-5 start to the season, head coach Kyle Shanahan began to siphon more of the rushing workload through his No. 1 receiver. And Samuel rewarded him by performing like a running back.

Samuel now lines up out of the backfield with frequency rather than being used only in gadget jet sweeps and end-around runs out of the slot. Though Deebo has cleared this line of 39.5 rushing yards in only four of 10 games since becoming a true hybrid player, he’s surpassed it in two of the past three weeks - he finished just below it at 39 yards vs. the Packers. However, he logged double-digit carries for the second straight game.

Now that the 49ers are here, Shanahan is inclined to double down on the elements of success that brought the team to this point. There’s a good chance Samuel sees another 10-plus carries on Sunday. If he gets close to his season average of 6.2 yards per carry, he should easily go Over this number.

FanDuel Sportsbook has Samuel's rushing total set at 40.5 rushing yards, so if you’re playing the Over, DraftKings is a better value. A sprinkle on Deebo at +380 (DraftKings) to lead the NFC Championship Game in rushing yards is also appealing.

Juszczyk Over 8.5 receiving yards (-120)

Juszczyk is among the last of a dying breed in the NFL: a fullback who often plays a meaningful role in his team’s offense. Not only does Shanahan trust him in the running game and as a pass blocker, but Juszczyk also often receives multiple looks per game as a receiver. He drew 38 targets in the regular season, finishing with 30 catches for 296 yards. Though Juszczyk’s receiving role has diminished recently, he cleared this yardage mark in 10 regular-season games and the wild-card win over the Cowboys.

Last week against Green Bay was the first game all season in which Juszczyk didn’t draw a target. Given the prominence of Juszczyk in Shanahan’s offense over the years, I would be surprised if the head coach doesn’t have a play or two tucked away for the fullback this week. It may only take one reception and a head of steam to get Juszczyk past this line, so we’re riding the Over on his receiving yardage player prop.

Here’s another instance of DraftKings being a better spot to take the Over on a player prop, as Juszczyk needs to clear 9.5 receiving yards at FanDuel.

Garoppolo Over 232.5 passing yards (-105)

This might seem like a bold play considering the paltry passing numbers Garoppolo racked up in his team’s two playoff wins; he didn't eclipse 200 yards passing mark in either game. However, the game script for this one might force Jimmy G to air it out more to keep pace with the Rams. In the Week 18 overtime win in Los Angeles, Garoppolo threw for 316 yards on 32 attempts.

In comparison, the 49ers' defense held down the Cowboys before slowing down Aaron Rodgers in brutal weather conditions last weekend. The NFC Championship Game will be a different story.

Though I don’t believe the 49ers will take down the Rams for the second time in four weeks, I feel their best chance at doing so will be another Jimmy G miracle drive in the fourth quarter. That’s something he hasn’t had to do so far in the playoffs.

Garoppolo cleared this yardage mark nine times during the regular season. Due to the lethal nature of the Rams' offense, he’ll have to do it again this week to give his team a fighting chance.

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

49ers prop picks made on 1/28/2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET.