Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers: National predictions
The Dallas Cowboys are fresh off their first road playoff victory in approximately 30 years.
The Cowboys will have to beat the San Francisco 49ers on the road if they want to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1996.
The Cowboys opened as a 4-point underdog to beat the 49ers in the last game of the NFL’s Divisional Round.
Both teams are coming off blowout victories in the Super Wild Card Round: the Cowboys trounced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14, and the 49ers demolished the Seattle Seahawks 41-23.
The 49ers haven’t lost a game since October and most pundits don’t expect the Cowboys to end their 11-game winning streak.
Kyle Yates, Pro Football Network
The key for the 49ers winning this matchup will rest on the defense though and forcing turnovers. Prescott’s run hot and cold this season, but when he’s on his game, he’s difficult to defend. If San Francisco can create pressure in his face with their stout defensive front, a turnover or two just may very well be the difference-maker in this game between two powerful teams.
Prediction: 49ers 24-20 Cowboys
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
The 49ers are riding an 11-game winning streak and have the greater depth and diversity of offensive weapons around Purdy. They also have a key home-field and rest advantage. Christian McCaffrey and the running game give San Francisco the edge, to the point of taking comfortable control in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: 49ers 31-24 Cowboys
Larry Rupp, FanDuel
Home-field advantage is going to be the deciding factor here. San Francisco is 8-1 at Levi’s Stadium this season and has posted an average scoring margin of +13.7 at home. Dallas took down Tampa Bay on the road, but the Cowboys rank outside the top 12 in yards allowed per away game this year.
Prediction: 49ers 27-20 Cowboys
Chet Gresham, DraftKings Nation
The Cowboys showed up well in the Wild Card Round, but there’s little doubt that this year’s Buccaneers team is not good and didn’t deserve a home game in the playoffs after winning the division with a 8-9 record. Kyle Shanahan vs. Mike McCarthy doesn’t sound fair. I like the 49ers to run away with this game.
Prediction: 49ers -3.5
Jon Breech, CBS Sports
Last year, the 49ers were the underdog and I picked them to upset the Cowboys. This year, I’m doing the opposite. Only four rookie quarterbacks -- Shaun King, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez -- have ever made it to a conference title game and I don’t think Purdy is going to be the fifth. And you know what, I’ll even say this things ends with a game-winning field goal from the guy (Brett Maher) who can’t make an extra point.
Prediction: Cowboys 34-31 49ers
Bill Speros, Bookies.com
The Cowboys sent Tom Brady into the season’s end, if not retirement, with a dominating performance Monday night. Dak Prescott had the postseason game that Jerry Jones and everyone else had been waiting for, throwing 4 TD passes and running for another in the 31-14 win. The 49ers will be ready for all of it. And the Cowboys can’t trust their kicker, something that might come into play here in a close game. San Francisco is stacked on both sides and the Cowboys emptied the tank in Tampa Bay.
Christian D’Andrea, For The Win
Cowboys-49ers will be rad. I know that’s not a very scientific way to describe it, but an old school rivalry that features two swarming defenses and a handful of offensive game-breakers. Dak Prescott finally looked like a superstar in the Wild Card round after a divisive 2022. Ultimately, however, that San Francisco defense should be enough to clamp down and Brock Purdy’s newfound willingness to throw long should provide just enough cover for the Niners to squeak through.
Prediction: 49ers 19-17 Cowboys
Anthony Riccobono, International Business Times
The 49ers beat the Cowboys 23-17 at AT&T Stadium in last year’s playoff game. Jimmy Garoppolo had another one of his mediocre playoff performances, throwing for 172 yards and an interception in San Francisco’s win. If Purdy is anything close to what he’s been as the 49ers’ starter, the quarterback and San Francisco’s No. 1 ranked defense might cruise to the NFC Championship Game.
