The San Fransico 49ers are storming ahead into January football while bulldozing anyone in their path. The Las Vegas Raiders? Not so much. Let’s dive into the current NFL betting odds and all the top storylines you need to monitor ahead of this inter-conference clash. Note that all odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are updated as of Dec. 27.
49ers vs. Raiders Odds
- Spread
49ers -6 - Moneyline
49ers -260, Raiders +220 - Over/Under
45 points
49ers vs. Raiders Prediction
Deebo Samuel? Legit. Chrisitan McCaffrey? Legit. 49ers offensive line? Legit. 49ers defense? Legit. Brock Purdy… L.E.G.I.T. That’s right, I said it. Brock Purdy is the man. He may not be a future perennial top-10 QB, but he’s doing more than enough to not only keep the 49ers afloat but move the offense up and down the field to score points.
When you have a defense like this one and a supporting cast that includes All-Pros at all the key positions, a guy like Purdy is everything you need to run your offense. Sure, he’s taking care of the football, but he’s also making some key downfield throws and extending the odd play when necessary.
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In short, Prudy has proven in his few starts for San Francisco that he’s not a third-string QB that’s going to be a deadweight that pulls the ship down, and he’s not just a life raft that will keep things barely above water. He can be the wind in the sail of this offense that keeps it moving forward.
Do I have equally effusive words for the Raiders? Meh. Not so much. Las Vegas is just barely clinging to postseason life, and the team is a bit of a mess all around. Despite having some elite weapons, the offense looks clunky and out of sync. The defense is bottom 10 in several important categories. And Derek Carr? He simply hasn’t done enough.
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Not only would I go so far as to say I don’t trust Las Vegas’ offense to keep up with Purdy’s unit, but I certainly don’t trust the Raiders to do so against San Francisco’s lockdown defense. Vegas’ offense goes as Josh Jacobs goes, and Jacobs has been stellar this year, no doubt. But no one, and I mean no one, runs well against the 49ers’ defensive front.
Not even Jacobs and his career-best season is likely to have success against Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, and Co. 75.0 rushing yards per game — that’s all this defense allows. Total.
San Fran has been statistically more vulnerable through the air, allowing a 16th-best 215.3 yards per game. But it’s important to remember some context there, which includes that teams are often left throwing at the end of games to catch up with the 49ers, and by that point, their running games have been stymied all game long.
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The 45-point over/under may feel tempting because of how strong San Francisco’s offense has been compared to how brittle the Vegas defense is, but I’m not expecting the Raiders to score many touchdowns in this one. San Francisco should win comfortably, and I think Purdy will have another strong outing.
49ers vs. Raiders Prediction
49ers 27, Raiders 16
