The NFC Championship game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers is set for Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET. A trip to the Super Bowl is on the line, and you can enhance the action even more with the best sports betting bonuses from legal US sportsbooks. You can use all of your bonus cash on our top props to bet for the Lions vs. 49ers NFC Championship game.
The 49ers are the home team, as they earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a regular season record of 12-5. San Francisco defeated Green Bay last week in the Divisional round by a score of 24-21 behind two touchdowns from RB Christian McCaffrey. The Lions are the No. 3 seed, and they are making their first NFC title game appearance since the 1991-92 season. It has been a magical season for the Lions, and they are hoping that Motor City magic continues out to the Bay Area.
The Lions are looking to make history with their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. On the other side, the 49ers have appeared in seven Super Bowls, winning five of them. San Francisco’s last Super Bowl appearance came a few years ago in Super Bowl LIV in February of 2020, but they ultimately fell short to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Top Prop Bets for Lions vs. 49ers NFC Championship Game
Brock Purdy Over 20.5 completions (-120 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Brock Purdy is one of the most efficient passers in the NFL. During the regular season he completed 69.4% of his passes, which was fourth-best in the league. The young gunslinger has a plethora of elite weapons at his disposal, and Kyle Shanahan likes to get them the ball early. That means Purdy is often asked to complete short and quick high-percentage passes to players like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel. Those types of throws could be in San Francisco’s game plan, considering Detroit’s strong pass rush.
Detroit can get to the quarterback, but their pass defense has been shaky. Despite beating both the Rams and Buccaneers in the playoffs, Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield both had strong days through the air. Stafford was 25-for-36 for 367 yards and two touchdowns, while Mayfield was 26-of-41 for 349 and three touchdowns with two interceptions. In addition, opposing quarterbacks have completed 21+ passes in five straight games against Detroit.
It’s also worth noting that despite only completing 59% of his passes in the Divisional round against the Packers, Purdy still had 23 completions. While he may not have 39 attempts again, which was a season-high, Over 20.5 completions seems well within range.
Jahmyr Gibbs Over 9.5 rush attempts (-105 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs ended the regular season with 10+ carries in five straight games. On the season, he had 10+ carries in 10 of his 15 regular season games. He hasn’t seen a ton of carries so far in the playoffs, as he had just eight carries against the Rams in the Wild Card round and nine carries against the Buccaneers last week in the Divisional round. But, he showed his explosiveness against the Buccaneers by running for 74 yards on those nine carries, good for an average of 8.2 yards per carry. His day was highlighted by an impressive 31-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter.
Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery have split the Detroit backfield most of the season. So far in the postseason, Montgomery has 24 rushing attempts while Gibbs has 17, but Gibbs has been more effective. The Alabama product is playing with a ton of confidence right now, and Dan Campbell may want to get him the ball a bit more in this one.
Josh Reynolds Over 2.5 receptions (-135 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Josh Reynolds is Detroit’s No. 3 receiver, hauling in 40 catches for 608 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season. So far this postseason, he has seven catches on ten targets for 107 yards. He shined in the Wild Card round against the Rams, catching five passes for 80 yards against his former team. He had just two catches last week, but he could see more opportunities come his way in this one.
All eyes will be on Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, which could open up some availability for Reynolds. The NFL postseason is all about unsung heroes. Could Reynolds be that hero for Detroit? It’s hard to say, but three catches seems reasonable.
