Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers are back in the NFC championship for a second straight year, but this time, they are hosting the game with the third-seeded Lions visiting Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET with Fox on the broadcast. The 49ers are at on the spread, and the over/under line for the game is .
NFC championship player props: Christian McCaffrey
Since he was traded to the 49ers midway through last season, McCaffrey has been the most productive back in the league. He tied the NFL record with a touchdown in 17 straight games, including the playoffs, and tied San Francisco’s franchise record with 100-plus scrimmage yards in seven straight games this season.
McCaffrey dealt with knee tendinitis toward the end of the season and sat out the second half of Week 17 and all of Week 18. He led the 49ers with 128 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 24 touches in a comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. In the NFC championship, he faces a Lions defense that has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game (87.7) this season at a rate of 3.8 yards per carry.
Below, we will take a look at some player props for this matchup. If you are located in a state where pick’em contests are legal, feel free to check out our PrizePicks and Betr Picks reviews.
Anytime TD scorer in the NFC championship
McCaffrey scored a receiving touchdown in his playoff debut with the Niners and has four rushing touchdowns over his last three postseason games with the team. This season, he handled a league-high 79 red zone touches and scored 21 touchdowns. If Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is unable to play in the NFC title game, the team will likely lean on McCaffrey even more heavily in the red zone.
- Anytime touchdown score:
- To score 2+ touchdowns:
- To score the first touchdown:
Rushing props for Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey averaged 17 carries per game and totaled the second-most carries (272) of any back this season. He averaged 91.2 rushing yards per game (5.4 yards per carry). Last postseason, he averaged 79.3 rushing yards per game at 6 yards per carry and went for 84 rushing yards on 15 carries in the NFC championship game in Philadelphia.
- Rushing yards:
- Rushing attempts:
- Longest rush:
McCaffrey is also a huge part of San Francisco’s offense as a receiver. He led all running backs in target share (19.3%) and route participation (74.8%) this season, averaging 4.2 catches for 35.3 yards per game. In two games with Deebo Samuel inactive, McCaffrey had nine catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Receiving props for Christian McCaffrey
- Receiving yards:
- Receptions:
- Longest reception:
Super Bowl MVP odds for Christian McCaffrey
The odds-on favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year for his regular season output, McCaffrey was right alongside Brock Purdy in terms of MVP odds before the 49ers lost in Week 16. The three-down back is getting odds of to win the Super Bowl MVP award.
