Betting: What is best wager to make for NFC Championship?

Minty Bets, Mark Drumheller and Pamela Maldonado give their best bets for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles.

Video Transcript

MINTY BETS: This Sunday we've got the NFC Championship Game between the Eagles and the 49ers. I'm joined by Mark Drumheller and Pam Maldonado. We're seeing the Eagles as 2 and 1/2 point favorites, and the total is 46 and 1/2.

I'm going to start off with our Philly resident, Mark, first to give us your best bet. Mark.

MARK DRUMHELLER: I'm going to go with the Eagles minus 2 and 1/2. I think they're going to be able to get big plays early and neutralize the 49ers' pass rush for a couple of reasons. First, the offensive line. The Eagles have PFF's highest-graded offensive line in the entire league. And secondly, the running game. They're number one in rush EPA during the season and have the highest rushing success rate over the past five years. And third, if the 49ers' pass rush gets too aggressive, Jalen Hurts can take advantage with his mobility.

And that's a lot for the 49ers pass rush to deal with, and if they can't get consistent pressure, the Eagles, who lead the NFL in first-half scoring, are going to get out to a big lead. We know rookies typically struggle in this spot, 0 and 4 straight up in conference championship games. So asking Brock Purdy to do it on the road against a defense that has four players with 11 or more sacks doesn't sound like a great bet to me. I'm going to stick with the Eagles here minus the 2 and 1/2.

MINTY BETS: Ooh. Pam, are you flying with the Eagles here or do you like the dog?

PAMELA MALDONADO: I am here to make a case for the other side and give a rebuttal to what Mark has. I am taking the 49ers plus 2 and 1/2 against the Eagles. I am backing the 49ers because they are entering this match-up prepared.

The Cowboys tested the 49ers' offense with a top-five pass rush. The Cowboys tested the 49ers' defense with a solid passing attack. The Eagles played the Giants, bottom 10 defense, bottom half in offense.

The key for this match-up is strength of schedule. What matters is San Fran's defense, number two in defense DVOA. Since losing to Washington in week nine, the Eagles have played two teams inside the top 10 for defense DVOA. The cheese stands alone, and I am dying on this hill. Give me the 49ers plus 2 and 1/2, plus 125 on the money line. I don't need to trust Brock Purdy. I trust the San Fran defense.

MINTY BETS: I wish I could be the tiebreaker for you guys here, but I'm going to stay away from a side. Instead, I'm going to bet on the Eagles first-half team total over 10 and 1/2 points at -125. As Mark alluded to earlier, the Eagles lead the league in first-half scoring. On top of that, when they play on home turf, they're averaging about 19 points per game, which also leads the league in first-half scoring.

Now, San Francisco's defense is tough. I'll admit it, but I think they're going to have a problem stopping the Eagles here. We know them to start off explosive, so I think, you know, two scores isn't too much to ask for in the first half.

To recap our NFC picks, Mark is on the Eagles to cover. Pam is on the 49ers to cover, and I'm on the Eagles first-half team total over.

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