Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview for the NFC Wild Card Game
Breaking down NFL NFC Wild Card action between the Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers. Over 60% of spread bets taking the points with the 49ers in NFC Wild Card matchup between two of the NFL’s most publicly-backed teams.
Henry John - January 16, 2022, 9:20 AM EST
4 MinutesDallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview for the NFC Wild Card Game
The second of three NFL Postseason games scheduled for Sunday is an NFC Wild Card showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Oddly enough, this is the only one of the six Super Wild Card Weekend games where the two teams did not face off during the regular season. Both sides have shown flashes of brilliance at times this season. On other occasions, they have looked very mortal. For all of the stars that adorn the two rosters, Sunday’s NFL betting matchup could very well be decided in the trenches. The current point spread has the home team laying a short number.
Cowboys vs. 49ers NFL Betting Odds, Picks, and Preview
NFL Postseason — NFC Wild Card Game San Francisco 49ers (10-7 SU, 9-8 ATS) vs. Dallas Cowboys (12-5 SU, 13-4 ATS)
Date: Sunday, January 16, 2021
Start Time: 4:30 PM EST
Location: AT&T Stadium — Arlington, TX
TV Coverage: CBS
Click Here for Cowboys vs 49ers Odds
San Francisco 49ers Preview
The 49ers successfully won on the road last week as NFL betting underdogs to clinch a spot in the postseason. Although they wound up as the 6-seed, a loss and resulting three-way tie with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints would’ve left San Francisco out of the playoff picture. Overall, the Niners won seven of their final nine games to rally after starting the year 3-5. The more key players that returned from injuries, the better the 49ers got. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was among those as recently as last week. The veteran QB navigated a torn thumb ligament to throw for over 300 yards and lead the 49ers into the playoffs.
Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell was another player who returned from a multi-game absence in Week 18. He picked up right where he left off prior to missing time with a knee injury. Kyle Shanahan’s offensive game plan for the NFC Wild Card Game figures to include a heavy dose of Mitchell and the run game. Of course, wideout Deebo Samuel will factor into both the passing and rushing attacks. Along with Brandon Aiyuk and the newly emerging Jauan Jennings, Samuel rounds out a solid trio of receivers. Tight end George Kittle is also healthy and capable of making an impact in the postseason.
The 49ers’ defensive front completely took over in the second half of last week’s must-win game. With Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead leading the way, the unit is capable of a similar performance in Sunday’s NFL betting matchup.
Dallas Cowboys Preview
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy opted to give most of his starters a full workload despite the fact that there was little chance of landing the No. 2 seed in the NFC. While Dallas was at least able to jump over the Los Angeles Rams and secure the 3-seed, one could certainly debate whether a rematch against the Arizona Cardinals might have been preferred over the alternative that is facing the red-hot 49ers. At any rate, a Cowboys offense that has topped 50 points in two of the last three weeks will need to be sharp on Sunday. Considering how difficult it is to run the ball on San Fran’s defensive front, QB Dak Prescott could find himself having to shoulder the load.
For the Cowboys to cover the NFL picks against the spread as betting favorites, their receivers will need to win matchups down the field. Cedrick Wilson has proven capable of filling the void left by Michael Gallup after the latter tore his ACL in Week 17. Along with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Dalton Schultz, Dallas has the weapons to exploit the weakest part of the 49ers’ defense. On the other side of the ball, much has been made about the improvement of the Cowboys’ defense from last season to this. In reality, the only major change that occurred was the team drafting Micah Parsons in the first round last spring. The defense could struggle to hold up in this Wild Card matchup if Parsons is neutralized.
Cowboys vs. 49ers NFL Playoffs Betting Odds and Line Movement
The following table displays the best 49ers vs. Cowboys NFL betting odds available in the market.
Team | Moneyline | ML Implied Probability | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | +145 | 40.8% | +3 (-105) | O 51 (-106) |
Cowboys | -159 | 61.4% | -3 (-114) | U 51 (-110) |
Of all the NFL Wild Card Weekend games, this one has seen the most even betting action. In fact, enough handle has come in on both sides that the spread remains at the exact same point where oddsmakers initially opened it. While the line has periodically jumped up to favor the Cowboys -3.5, it has always returned to an even three-point margin.
The over/under has also seen limited movement. The current consensus line of 51 sits one-half point higher than the opening mark of 50.5. Given that both teams have vast fanbases and tend to be heavily supported by the public at the betting window, it is interesting to note that the 49ers have garnered 60% of spread bets. This effectively goes against a Cowboys outfit that posted the best NFL betting ATS record of any team during the regular season (13-4).
Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers Line Movement
Cowboys vs. 49ers NFL Betting Trends
- 49ers are 4-1 both straight up and ATS in their last five games.
- Four of the 49ers’ last five games have gone under the total.
- Cowboys are 5-1 both straight up and ATS in their last six games.
- Cowboys are just 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games played in January.
- The total has gone over in eight of the last ten 49ers vs. Cowboys head-to-head matchups.
Cowboys vs. 49ers NFL Betting Picks and Prediction
While public NFL betting underdogs are always scary, reports have indicated a substantial amount of sharp play on both sides of this game. As a result, bettors should not overreact to the rather surprising ticket counts. Note that the bet percentages are bound to change before kickoff as well.
Not only do the 49ers stack up as the preferred side ATS but they also have a real chance to win the game outright. The Cowboys simply do not have an answer defensively for the punishing San Francisco ground game. With his top three targets all healthy and a fourth now emerging in Jauan Jennings, Jimmy Garoppolo suddenly has weapons galore. If he can avoid making costly mistakes, the Niners will be fine on offense.
As far as the 49ers’ defense is concerned, the secondary simply has to hold coverage just long enough for the star-studded front four to work their magic. Oh, and bettors also should not dismiss the coaching mismatch that is Kyle Shanahan vs. Mike McCarthy in this NFC Wild Card Game.
Cowboys vs. 49ers Picks
