NFL ·Sep 27, 2021

9/26/21 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PACKERS VS 49ERS

GREEN BAY @ SAN FRANCISCO (SF -3.5, 48) - LOSS

It’s an early season test for both the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams entered the 2021 season as favorites to win the NFC and as favorites to win a Super Bowl. The Packers got off to a rocky start giving up five touchdown passes to Jameis Winston in a 38-3 loss to New Orleans. Green Bay got back on track last Monday night with a win over Detroit.

Meanwhile, San Francisco has done exactly what is was supposed to in Weeks 1 and 2 – win. The Niners also beat Detroit and then Philadelphia in Week 2. San Francisco held Eagles QB Jalen Hurts to just 12 completions in 23 attempts. He did not throw a touchdown and the 49ers defense clamped down on Philly in a 17-11 win.

What the 49ers do have is a backfield problem. RB Raheem Mostert is done for the season. JaMichael Hasty is out indefinitely with an ankle injury and Trey Sermon is still in concussion protocol. Rookie Elijah Mitchell is also questionable.

The Packers do not have that problem. Aaron Jones finally got on track rushing 17 times for 67 yards and a touchdown and catching three Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes. Rodgers shook off his poor performance in Week 1 and completed 22-of-27 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns.

Now, these two teams have actually played each other three times in the last two seasons. All three games were in San Francisco. In the 2019 season, the 49ers won 37-8 during the regular season and then met the Packers in the NFC title game. San Francisco won that game too, 37-20. Last season in San Francisco, Green Bay beat an injury-decimated 49ers squad 34-17.

Over the course of the past two seasons, the Packers have played in 12 primetime regular season games. Green Bay is 10-2 in those games. One of the losses was that 37-8 defeat to the 49ers in 2019.

Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, has an overall record of 130-68-1 as a starting quarterback in the NFL. It’s not often that he and his Packers are underdogs, but Green Bay is 24-18 ATS in such games. The Packers were 2-1 straight up in the three games win which they were underdogs last season. In the only game in which Green Bay was a 3.5-point dog, the Packers won outright.

Thirteen of Green Bay’s 16 regular season games last year featured a point total of 49 points or more. The total has gone Over in five of Green Bay’s last six games and in nine of the last 12 games played against San Francisco.