Bet On This Cross-Sport Parlay ( ) for the Weekend
Best Bet: 49ers/Eagles over 46.5 at -110 & Volunteers ATS at BetOnline
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 3 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
San Francisco's Defensive Strength
The strength of San Francisco's defense is in its front seven.
They are best at creating havoc, sending ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage, and generally limiting the opponent's rush attack.
Last week, Dallas played into San Francisco's hands by limiting the extent to which it challenged 49er defensive backs.
Instead, in addition to attempting 22 runs, the Cowboys focused on developing a shorter and intermediate passing game.
Obviously, Philadelphia's coaching staff is going to watch footage of this game and notice what went wrong for Dallas.
But can the Eagles avoid falling into the same trap.
Explosive Pass Attack
Eagle quarterback Jalen Hurts has garnered a reputation for his lack of passing ability and especially his lack of deep passing ability.
But this reputation is unfair and outdated.
According to available advanced stats and metrics, Hurts ranks 12thin deep-ball attempts, eighth in deep-ball completion percentage, and, crucially, fifth in deep ball accuracy rating.
These stats indicate that Hurts has grown into a quarterback who is inclined and able to thrive on the deep ball.
Moreover, the last stat indicates that Hurts' apparent growth is not merely a product of the addition of elite wide receiver AJ Brown.
Though Brown's excellent size and freakish physical skillset make him a superb deep target, it's also true that Hurts throws a good deep ball, in addition to being willing to do so.
Eagles' Offensive Outlook
Philadelphia is built and possesses the mindset to hurt San Francisco's defense where it's vulnerable.
Consequently, Philly's offensive outlook is rather positive.
It's not the Eagles won't be able to run the ball, either.
They will also utilize Hurts in the running game.
His value here is evident in the nice rushing gains that Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott and Falcon quarterback Marcus Mariota were able to boast in their respective games against San Francisco.
A rather balanced Eagle offensive attack will thus not simply rely on explosive plays in the passing game, although those quick-scoring options will likely be Philadelphia's best source of offense in this game.
San Francisco's Efficient Offense
San Francisco's offense is highly efficient.
It was efficient before the arrival of star running back Christian McCaffrey.
But since his arrival, the team ranks third in touchdowns per drive.
Reliable Pass Attack
Just because the 49er offense might not accumulate as many big passing plays via the deep ball as Philadelphia, it does not mean that San Francisco will struggle to score.
The 49ers are not just going to plod down the field and grind out drives, because they excel at accruing yards after catch (YAC).
A 49er team that is one of the best at accruing YAC will thrive against an Eagle defense that is statistically one of the worst at limiting opposing YAC.
San Franciso's pass-catchers are versatile weapons, many of whom can function as running backs.
Deebo Samuel, a knife-of-all trades guy, is a good example, and CMC is another one.
Rush Attack
Philadelphia's rush defense is relatively vulnerable-- in its losses, multiple opposing ball-carriers found success.
Overall, the Eagles rank middle-of-the-road at limiting opposing rush yards per game.
They struggle to send opposing running backs backwards, instead often allowing them to play key roles in sustaining drives.
San Francisco enjoys a rich mixture of ball-carriers, featuring especially a wide receiver in Samuel and the star running back, CMC.
Thus, the 49ers will also rely on multiple ball-carriers to gain chunk players and help them keep pace with Philadelphia's rather explosive offense.
Texas Longhorns vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 6 p.m. ET at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee
Motivation
This is a great motivational spot for the Volunteers because their head coach, Rick Barnes, used to coach at Texas.
Barnes was fired from Texas. He did not want to leave, and being forced to stop coaching for them was an explicitly bitter experience for him.
As such, Texas is a team that he very much cares about beating.
Given his motivation right now, one should expect a uniquely concentrated effort from Tennessee.
Texas' Perimeter Defense
On defense, the Longhorns are relatively vulnerable from behind the arc.
Strong, high-volume three-point shooting was a feature of all their losses this season.
Tennessee's Offense
The Volunteers are built to exploit Texas' vulnerable perimeter defense because they rank first in three-point percentage in SEC play.
While point guard Zakai Zeigler is most known for his aggressiveness on defense, which leads to his uniquely high steal rate, he also excels at passing the ball and getting teammates involved.
Several of his teammates, plus himself, convert 34 percent or much more of their three-point attempts.
Tennessee's Defense
One must like Tennessee when one likes its offense because its defense is elite.
According to KenPom, Tennessee owns the nation's best defensive efficiency.
The Volunteers benefit from having depth and versatility on their roster.
This combination allows them to mix up different lineups depending on the personnel strengths and strategies of their opponent.
They can also switch a lot on screens because of their versatility.
This and their elite shot-blocking make it particularly hard for opponents to score at the rim.
Best Bet: 49ers/Eagles over 46.5 at -110 & Volunteers ATS at BetOnline
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 3 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
San Francisco's Defensive Strength
The strength of San Francisco's defense is in its front seven.
They are best at creating havoc, sending ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage, and generally limiting the opponent's rush attack.
Last week, Dallas played into San Francisco's hands by limiting the extent to which it challenged 49er defensive backs.
Instead, in addition to attempting 22 runs, the Cowboys focused on developing a shorter and intermediate passing game.
Obviously, Philadelphia's coaching staff is going to watch footage of this game and notice what went wrong for Dallas.
But can the Eagles avoid falling into the same trap.
Explosive Pass Attack
Eagle quarterback Jalen Hurts has garnered a reputation for his lack of passing ability and especially his lack of deep passing ability.
But this reputation is unfair and outdated.
According to available advanced stats and metrics, Hurts ranks 12thin deep-ball attempts, eighth in deep-ball completion percentage, and, crucially, fifth in deep ball accuracy rating.
These stats indicate that Hurts has grown into a quarterback who is inclined and able to thrive on the deep ball.
Moreover, the last stat indicates that Hurts' apparent growth is not merely a product of the addition of elite wide receiver AJ Brown.
Though Brown's excellent size and freakish physical skillset make him a superb deep target, it's also true that Hurts throws a good deep ball, in addition to being willing to do so.
Eagles' Offensive Outlook
Philadelphia is built and possesses the mindset to hurt San Francisco's defense where it's vulnerable.
Consequently, Philly's offensive outlook is rather positive.
It's not the Eagles won't be able to run the ball, either.
They will also utilize Hurts in the running game.
His value here is evident in the nice rushing gains that Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott and Falcon quarterback Marcus Mariota were able to boast in their respective games against San Francisco.
A rather balanced Eagle offensive attack will thus not simply rely on explosive plays in the passing game, although those quick-scoring options will likely be Philadelphia's best source of offense in this game.
San Francisco's Efficient Offense
San Francisco's offense is highly efficient.
It was efficient before the arrival of star running back Christian McCaffrey.
But since his arrival, the team ranks third in touchdowns per drive.
Reliable Pass Attack
Just because the 49er offense might not accumulate as many big passing plays via the deep ball as Philadelphia, it does not mean that San Francisco will struggle to score.
The 49ers are not just going to plod down the field and grind out drives, because they excel at accruing yards after catch (YAC).
A 49er team that is one of the best at accruing YAC will thrive against an Eagle defense that is statistically one of the worst at limiting opposing YAC.
San Franciso's pass-catchers are versatile weapons, many of whom can function as running backs.
Deebo Samuel, a knife-of-all trades guy, is a good example, and CMC is another one.
Rush Attack
Philadelphia's rush defense is relatively vulnerable-- in its losses, multiple opposing ball-carriers found success.
Overall, the Eagles rank middle-of-the-road at limiting opposing rush yards per game.
They struggle to send opposing running backs backwards, instead often allowing them to play key roles in sustaining drives.
San Francisco enjoys a rich mixture of ball-carriers, featuring especially a wide receiver in Samuel and the star running back, CMC.
Thus, the 49ers will also rely on multiple ball-carriers to gain chunk players and help them keep pace with Philadelphia's rather explosive offense.
Texas Longhorns vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 6 p.m. ET at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee
Motivation
This is a great motivational spot for the Volunteers because their head coach, Rick Barnes, used to coach at Texas.
Barnes was fired from Texas. He did not want to leave, and being forced to stop coaching for them was an explicitly bitter experience for him.
As such, Texas is a team that he very much cares about beating.
Given his motivation right now, one should expect a uniquely concentrated effort from Tennessee.
Texas' Perimeter Defense
On defense, the Longhorns are relatively vulnerable from behind the arc.
Strong, high-volume three-point shooting was a feature of all their losses this season.
Tennessee's Offense
The Volunteers are built to exploit Texas' vulnerable perimeter defense because they rank first in three-point percentage in SEC play.
While point guard Zakai Zeigler is most known for his aggressiveness on defense, which leads to his uniquely high steal rate, he also excels at passing the ball and getting teammates involved.
Several of his teammates, plus himself, convert 34 percent or much more of their three-point attempts.
Tennessee's Defense
One must like Tennessee when one likes its offense because its defense is elite.
According to KenPom, Tennessee owns the nation's best defensive efficiency.
The Volunteers benefit from having depth and versatility on their roster.
This combination allows them to mix up different lineups depending on the personnel strengths and strategies of their opponent.
They can also switch a lot on screens because of their versatility.
This and their elite shot-blocking make it particularly hard for opponents to score at the rim.
