The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers are set to go head-to-head Saturday night with the winner advancing to the NFC Championship. This will be the Packers’ first taste of the playoffs this year after earning the first-round bye with the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Niners come into Lambeau Field after a thrilling upset win over the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco enters the divisional round as the biggest underdog on the four-game slate, so it’ll need to bring its best punch in order to move on. In this space, we’ll specifically be looking at the different betting angles that this matchup has on deck for us. Below, you’ll read picks from both CBS Sports and SportsLine experts on this game, as well as a handful of player props that catch our eye. All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.How to watch Date: Saturday, Jan. 22 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ETLocation: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wisconsin)TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)Odds: Packers -5.5, O/U 4749ers at Packers spread picks “The 49ers impressed going on the road and beating Dallas. But this will be a third straight road game. That’s tough. The Packers are coming off a bye and will be getting injured guys back. That’s a big edge for the Packers. The key to beating the 49ers is blocking them up front. The Packers have done a great job of doing that this year, and now they have left tackle David Bakhtiari back to bolster the front. I think Aaron Rodgers will have success down the field against the 49ers secondary. The key for the Packers defense will be how well they stop the run and put the game on Jimmy Garoppolo. I think they will do a solid job — even if they won’t stop them — to find a way to pull this game out and advance to the title game. The 49ers are a dangerous team, but Rodgers will be the difference.” — CBS Sports Senior NFL analyst Pete Prisco on why he is laying the points and rolling with the Packers. To read the rest of his picks for the divisional round, click here.
CBS Sports fantasy and gambling editor R.J. White has been on a tear with his picks involving the Packers. White has gone a remarkable 50-16-1 on his last 67 picks involving Green Bay, returning more than $3,100 to anyone who has followed him. In this game against San Francisco, White knows a crucial X-factor that has him backing one side of the spread. We can tell you he’s leaning Under the total, but to see his pick for this game you’ll have to go to SportsLine.”The 49ers were able to pull off the upset against the Cowboys in Dallas, but it was tough to feel great about them coming out of that win. San Francisco was essentially begging the Cowboys to come back in that matchup with Jimmy Garoppolo making a number of mistakes that — against a better opponent — would have sent them home. The Packers, under Aaron Rodgers, are the type of team that the 49ers cannot make those types of late-game mistakes against because that quarterback will be able to make you pay. Rodgers hasn’t been able to beat the Niners in the playoffs in the three previous games they’ve gone head-to-head in his career, but I believe that changes this postseason. “The Packers were an NFL-best 7-1 ATS at home this season and are 4-0 ATS in their previous four trips to the divisional round. San Francisco has been a strong road team (6-4 ATS), but I believe this team will have some late-game mistakes that ultimately prove to be its undoing. It also doesn’t help that it may not have star pass rusher Nick Bosa (concussion) to pressure Rodgers.” — CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan — who went 5-1 ATS in his Super Wild Card Weekend picks — on why he likes the Packers over the Niners. To read the rest of his picks, click here.
“The Packers were the only team in the NFL that went undefeated at home this year, and now, they get to play a home game in weather that’s going to make Lambeau Field feel like a giant igloo. I think the 49ers keep this close, but I can’t pick against the Packers here. The prediction is that Aaron Rodgers gets his first career postseason win over the team that passed on him in the 2005 NFL Draft.” — CBS Sports NFL writer and Pick Six Podcast co-host John Breech on why he is picking the Packers to beat the 49ers, 23-20. 49ers at Packers total picks “It is expected to be a frozen tundra at Lambeau Field on Saturday with the wind chill forecasted to be below zero and occasional wind gusts of 20 mph. That’ll be tough sledding for even the most experienced players in cold-weather situations, but especially for Jimmy Garoppolo, who — as CBS Sports’ John Breech pointed out in his weekly picks column — has never thrown a professional pass in a game where it’s been under 40 degrees. The Under was 6-4 for the 49ers on the road this season.” — CBS Sports NFL writer Tyler Sullivan on why he is leaning towards the Under in Packers-49ers. Best prop picksJimmy Garoppolo total interceptions: Over 0.5 (-135). Garoppolo has thrown five interceptions in his past three starts, including that playoff win over Dallas last week. He seems good for at least two or three errant throws a game, which is plenty to open the door for an interception. This season, opposing quarterbacks are averaging 1.5 interceptions thrown per game at Lambeau Field, second most in the NFL.
Deebo Samuel total rushing yards: Over 37.5 (-115). Over the last two weeks, the 49ers have been doubling down on Samuel’s usage out of the backfield. His 18 rushing attempts last week and in Week 18 were the highest of any two-game stretch this season. With that increased workload, Samuel has rewarded San Francisco by averaging 6.5 yards per carry. It’s hard to see them shying away from him this weekend, especially with the Packers allowing 4.7 yards per game, tied for third most in the NFL. Allen Lazard total receiving yards: Over 37.5 (-115). Lazard has gone over this number in three straight games to end the regular season and has been averaging nearly six targets per game over that stretch. With that many looks by Rodgers and Lazard averaging 12.8 yards per reception, it may not take much for him to top this prop.
