Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers Betting Preview, Odds & Prediction, 1–28–2024

VC Sports Monitor | Follow Top Sports Handicappers

Published in

Verified Cappers

4 min readJan 27, 2024

Free NFL Prediction by Mathew Balance of DocumentedHandicappers.com

Mathew Balance is 97–64 (60%), +$13,335 this Season in NFL

Detroit Lions (14–5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13–5)

2024 NFC Championship: Lions vs. 49ers

The NFC Championship is set to showcase a thrilling matchup as the Detroit Lions visit Levi’s Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers. The Detroit Lions look to make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history while the San Francisco 49ers have a chance to make their second Super Bowl appearance in the last 5 years.

Lions vs. 49ers Game Info

Date: Sunday, January 28, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM ET
Venue: Levi’s Stadium
Spread: Lions +7, 49ers -7
Moneyline: Lions +290, 49ers -360
Total: 51.5

Lions Betting Preview

The Detroit Lions punched their ticket to the NFC Championship with a 31–23 win over the Buccaneers last weekend. It took scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter to secure the win after ending the 3rd quarter with a tie score. Detroit’s offense has been impressive during the postseason, both rushing and receiving. Running back David Montgomery has been instrumental in amassing 90 rushing yards on 24 attempts and scoring one touchdown. Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown has led their aerial attack collecting 15 receptions for 187 yards and scoring one touchdown. The offense will need to remain balanced which is crucial for beating the San Francisco 49ers’ formidable defense. Defensively, Detroit is allowing 23 points and 416.5 yards per game and they will be facing an explosive 49ers offense. This will undoubtedly be their toughest challenge of the season.

49ers Betting Preview

The Niners found a way to the NFC Championship narrowly escaping the Green Bay Packers, 24–21. San Francisco is a veteran squad with star talent all over the field and they have had a chip on their shoulder ever since losing in the NFC Championship last season to the Eagles. Brock Purdy wasn’t exactly elite in the last game, but the 49ers were still able to overcome what he did to come away with a victory. Christian McCaffrey did have a strong game finishing with 17 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers have proven they don’t need Purdy to be at the top of his game to win and his job is to distribute the ball to their playmakers. San Francisco scores 28.9 points per game while conceding just 17.5 points per game. WR Deebo Samuel is cleared to play on Sunday which adds another impact player to this dynamic offense. The 49ers lead the league in yards after contact so the Lions will need to wrap up on defense and not allow the big chunk plays.

Free Pick

These teams are fairly evenly matched, but the 49ers are a fairly significant favorite for a couple of reasons. For one, they’ll have home-field advantage. That’s big in a playoff atmosphere, and only two teams, the Packers and the Chiefs, have won on the road this postseason. Also, the 49ers have far more experience at this stage. This will be the fourth time in five seasons that Kyle Shanahan’s team has reached the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco’s defense ranked eighth in total defense and third in points allowed. However, it was, at times, susceptible to the run which favors the Lions running back tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. While the Lions' defense is vulnerable to the pass, it is fantastic against the run. That should allow Detroit to limit Christian McCaffrey and force Purdy to carry San Francisco’s offense. Whether the 49ers showed vulnerability last weekend or they were just rusty from the BYE week is to be determined. The Lions appear to have some momentum and are playing the underdog role well. I see this as a closer game than oddsmakers which means the Lions +7 are getting too many points. I’ll take the bait and back this Lions team to keep this within range.