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49ers have key to beating Eagles in NFC Championship

By Iain MacMillan

Jan 14, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (25) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter of a wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (25) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter of a wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday with a chance to play in Super Bowl 57 on the line.

Oddsmakers have the Eagles set as 2.5-point favorites, making the 49ers small underdogs in Philadelphia.

Are the 49ers worth a bet to pull off that upset? There is one key statistic that says they are.

Their run game.

49ers can use run game to beat Eagles in NFC Championship

Every single team in the NFL, even the No. 1 seed in the NFC, has a weakness. For the Eagles, it’s their ability (or inability) to stop the run.

Heading into Conference Championship Sunday, the Eagles rank 21st in the NFL in run defense DVOA.

In a more simple statistic, they rank 24th in the NFL in opponent yards per carry, allowing teams to average 4.7 yards per rush against them. We even saw the New York Giants average 5.9 yards per rush against them in the Divisional Round.

Who has one of the best rush attacks in the NFL? That’s right, the 49ers.

Between Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, and Deebo Samuel, the 49ers will be able to find success on the ground against Philadelphia.

Sure, they only got 4.5 yards per carry against the Cowboys last week, but as the tweet says above, Dallas had one of the most effective run defenses in the NFL.

The 49ers have a tool to beat the Eagles this week. If you think they can utilize their run game and upset Philadelphia, put your money where your mouth is and place a bet.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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