McCaffrey and his 49ers take on the Panthers in a huge NFC clash as both teams look for a wildcard playoff spot. Here are my tips and predictions for this one.
Carolina Panthers (6-5) at San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
The Panthers are having a good season at 6-5 and head to San Fran with a bit of confidence about an upset. They come off a thrilling OT win over the Falcons 30-27. Panthers QB Bryce Young was on fire with 448 passing yards and 3 TD's. Tetairoa McMillan was his favourite target with 8 catches, 130 yards and 2 TDs. They face a 49ers defence that has struggled with injuries and stopping the pass, they rank 28th in the NFL for passing yards allowed.
San Francisco are a tough team to read at the moment. They lost 42-26 against the Rams at home a few weeks ago then smashed the Cardinals 41-22 last week. But they should enjoy having Brock Purdy back under centre after his 3 TD performance last week. Christian McCaffrey also faces his former team. He's been looking back to his best recently so he'll be looking for a big game. They rank 15th in the NFL for both points scored and allowed, so that kind of sums up their inconsistent season so far.
Leg #1 - Panthers +7.5
The Panthers don't mind playing on the road. They beat Green Bay at Lambeau a few weeks ago and that's not an easy task. On the road, Carolina are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 too. They like playing the 49ers having covered in 9 of their last 11 in San Fran. Meanwhile, the 49ers struggle to cover at home, going 1-5 ATS in their last 6.
Leg #2 - Bryce Young 225+ Passing Yards
Young comes off 448 passing yards in a matchup with Atlanta last week. When he has had a good matchup this season, he's been easily clearing this 225+ passing yards mark. Also, the 49ers allowed Jacoby Brissett to torch them last week for 452 pass yards.
Leg #3 - Over 47.5
Both sides coming off 30 or more points last week and they should continue the momentum here. The Over is also 5-1 when the 49ers face a NFC team.
Same Game Multi
Panthers +7.5 / Bryce Young 225+ Passing Yards / Over 47.5 = $5.80
Value Leg - Christian McCaffrey 2+ Touchdowns
McCaffrey is coming off 3 total touchdowns last week, 2 on the ground and 1 in the passing game. He's getting plenty of volume in both areas of the 49ers attack. He's had over 6 passing targets in every game this season and has 10+ carries in 9 of 10 games. Not to mention, he's facing his former team and that should give him extra motivation to have a huge game.
