NFC Championship – Injury & Odds Update: Top-Seeded Eagles Looking to Soar

Both the Eagles and 49ers Look to Be Close to Full Strength in NFC Title Game

Once San Francisco 49ers rebounded from a tough start, it has been clear that the two best teams in the NFC are the ones playing in Sunday’s NFC title game.

Now it is time to look at the NFC Championship injury and odds update. Both NFL teams have key players who have either been held out or been limited in practice this week. Much of that is a better safe than sorry approach to the players dealing with various ailments.

The 49ers hit the road to play Philadelphia Eagles in a showdown of the top two seeds. The game is set for kick off shortly after 3 p.m. ET and there aren’t any weather issues that will impact what happens on the field.

Offensive Stars Look Good To Go

San Francisco 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey didn’t hesitate when he was asked whether he would be good to go for Sunday’s NFC championship game.

McCaffrey played in one postseason NFL game during his five NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

He is not 100% but he delivered an emphatic “no” when the media inquired whether he might miss this game.

After a 119-yard game against Seattle Seahawks in the playoff opener, McCaffrey was pretty quiet with 35 yards on 10 carries and 22 on six catches in the 19-12 win over Dallas Cowboys.

Fellow running back Eli Mitchell led the way with 51 yards and he is also dealing with injury issues.

The 49ers haven’t had McCaffrey and Mitchell going through drills to prevent any setbacks as McCaffrey deals with a calf issue and Mitchell is slowed with a groin injury. Receiver Deebo Samuel (ankle) was listed as a limited participant for the second day in a row.

When looking at the NFL picks and parlays, McCaffrey leads the way with a price of +475 to score the first touchdown for the 49ers with Samuel at +1000. They are also first and second among San Francisco 49ers players in the “anytime touchdown scorer” prop bet.

Barring any late changes, expect them to be out there. Once that become official, keep an eye on the NFC Championship injury and odds update.

All Eyes on Johnson

Even if Lane Johnson was completely healthy, he would be in the spotlight since he will be trusted to protect quarterback Lane Johnson’s blind side while going against Nick Bosa, the NFL leader with 18.5 sacks during the regular season.

When looking at the NFL injury update, Johnson is dealing with a groin injury and has been limited in practice. He was one of three offensive linemen listed as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. However, center Jason Kelce and guard Landon Dickerson were held out for rest purposes. It is pretty clear by looking at the NFC Championship injury and odds update that Johnson is expected to play. Missing a key piece like the veteran tackle would certainly impact the odds.

Johnson is in the same boat as McCaffrey. Perhaps if this matchup took place during the regular NFL season, he might sit it out. With a chance to go to the Super Bowl, expect to see Johnson lining at the left tackle.

Cornerbacks Ailing a Bit

No position has more question marks than cornerback for the two teams.

For San Francisco, Ambry Thomas is questionable with an ankle injury and it is the same deal with Avonte Maddox of the Eagles.

Maddox is slowed by a toe injury. When he was healthy he played more than 75% of the defensive snaps. However, he missed the regular-season finale, the NFL playoff opener and only played in nine of the Eagles’ 17 games during the regular season.

Thomas is more of a special teams player as he only played 45 defensive snaps during the season.

Omenihu Likely to Play

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Charles Omenihu was listed as a limited participant due to an oblique injury. However, it is another issue that will garner more of the attention.

Omenihu was recently arrested on suspicion of domestic assault. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said he intends on playing Omenihu.

Things could get tricky once more information is known about the situation with Omenihu.

Holding Steady

There has been some fluctuation with the line in the AFC Championship Game and that is mostly due to the positive reports surrounding Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ injured ankle.

There has been very little movement with this game. The Eagles remain a 2.5-point favorite.

The total opened at 45, but it has been at 46.5 for a couple of days.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• Cowboys vs 49ers Betting Odds: Star Pass Rushers Could Steal the Show
• NFL Divisional Special Odds: Betting on Numbers That Matter
• Bengals vs Bills Betting Preview: Let’s Do This One Again…
• Jaguars vs Chiefs Betting Preview: Do Jags Have Another Upset in Them?
• NFL Next Head Coach Odds: The Five Top Candidates for 2023