Another week, another pivotal game for the 49ers with playoff implications. They host the Panthers on Monday Night Football, which is currently the battle between the #7 seed and the #8 seed in the playoffs.
View the latest NFL odds at Bovada
Both the 49ers and Panthers are coming off of important road divisional wins and will be looking to continue that momentum as they make a push for the postseason. At Bovada, the 49ers are currently favored by seven points, with the over/under set at 48 points. This implies that the Sportsbook sees the 49ers winning by a score of roughly 27 to 20.
Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young had his best passing performance of his career leading a comeback in overtime over the Falcons, while the 49ers saw Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall return to the field in a rout of the Cardinals.
Confidence for both teams is at a high and here are some things to watch on both sides ahead of the Monday night showdown.
Kyle Shanahan’s going to be relentlessly hunting the Panthers’ linebackers
There’s nothing Kyle Shanahan loves to do on offense more than tormenting opposing linebackers who can’t keep up with his All-Pro tight end or running back. That spells bad news for the Panthers, who will likely be without both of their starting middle linebackers due to injury and will be relying on practice squad elevations to hold up against the likes of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
Shanahan loves to design throws over the middle of the field and find coverage mismatches against slower linebackers and I think that’s going to be a point of emphasis come Monday night.
Which defense’s pass rush shows up on Monday night?
The 49ers’ lack of a pass rush has been a point of emphasis all season long and with the losses of Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams for the season, they’re extremely thin at the position. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has tried multiple strategies to generate a rush, but he’s largely been unsuccessful due to the 49ers’ depth at the position.
The Panthers’ pass rush might be as bad as the 49ers this season. They only have 16 sacks on the year, which ranks #28 in the NFL.
Both quarterbacks should have time to operate from the pocket on Monday. Whichever pass rush is able to generate just enough pressure on high-leverage downs should have an advantage.
Can 49ers’ kicker Matt Gay continue Eddy Pineiro’s success?
Nothing screams the 49ers more than losing their kicker to a hamstring injury after a dominant win. Pineiro has been dominant for San Francisco this season, not missing a field goal and helping elevate their Special Teams’ unit to be one of the most efficient in the NFL this season.
Shanahan stated earlier in the week that they will be without Pineiro for a few weeks with his injury. As a result, the 49ers signed Matt Gay, who was cut earlier in the week by the Commanders. Gay’s been 44-of-56 over the last two seasons, with the majority of his misses coming from 50+ yards.
I imagine that might change Shanahan’s fourth-down strategy near the 30-yard line if Gay has to kick a 50+ yard field goal.
The 49ers are the more seasoned team (especially on offense), are playing at home in a prime-time game and know what’s at stake. While their defensive volatility could mean this game stays close, I think the 49ers find a way to find at home and finally win two games in a row since the start of the season.
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