Why the 49ers Should Beat the Eagles in Week 13
The 49ers aren't necessarily better than the Eagles, but there are good reasons the 49ers will be 2.5-point favorites on the road in Philadelphia next week.
One reason is the Eagles don't necessarily need to win this game. Their record is 10-1. The 49ers are 8-3. So if the 49ers win, the Eagles still would have a better record than them. They'd be 10-2, while the 49ers would be 9-3. Meaning the Eagles still would have the inside track for the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home field throughout the playoffs.
In addition, this game is the 49ers' Super Bowl before the Super Bowl. They're returning to the site of the previous NFC Championship where Brock Purdy tore the UCL in his throwing elbow on the 49ers' first offensive drive and the game was over before it started. The 49ers still believe they would have won that game if Purdy hadn't gotten injured, and this is their opportunity to prove themselves right.
Meanwhile, the Eagles just proved themselves the past two weeks by coming from behind to beat the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs, and then the Bills for good measure. They don't have anything to prove this week against the 49ers. They already beat the 49ers last year. And the Eagles have lots of injuries -- they might not have Lane Johnson or Fletcher Cox. So if they lose, they can tell themselves they weren't at full strength and they'll beat the 49ers in the playoffs if they meet again.
The 49ers should win this game. They have extra time to prepare because they played on Thursday, and they need the win more than the Eagles do.
Let's see if the 49ers can make a statement.