San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles Spread

The Philadelphia Eagles, who opened the season among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, find themselves at 1-2 following back-to-back defeats. They’ll look to get back to .500 when they host the 2-1 San Francisco 49ers Sunday.

The Eagles are currently listed as a nine-point favorite with the total set at 44.

After an impressive 31-13 victory at St. Louis in Week 1, the Eagles have endured losses to the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants.

Last week, Philly dug itself out of a 14-0 hole but faded in the fourth to lose 29-16 to the G-men.

Michael Vick completed 16 of 23 passes for 176 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

LeSean McCoy led the Eagles on the ground with 128 yards and a score.

Vick suffered a contusion on his right hand last week but says he’ll play Sunday.

The 49ers have the worst offense in the league but have managed to win two of their first three under new coach Jim Harbaugh behind a top-notch defense.

The Niners only gained 226 yards last week but held the Cincinnati Bengals to just 228 and forced three turnovers in a 13-8 victory.

Alex Smith completed 20 of 30 passes for 201 yards with no touchdowns and no picks. Tight end Vernon Davis was on the receiving end of eight of those completions for 114 yards.

The 49ers might not be able to rely on their defensive as much against a Philadelphia team that ranks sixth in the NFL with 409 yards per game.

San Francisco must move the football to pull off the upset and stands the best chance of doing so with its running game. So far, San Francisco’s running attack has been anemic, but it will have an opportunity to shine against an Eagles’ defense that ranks 30th in the NFL with 131.3 rushing yards allowed per game.

Don’t be surprised if Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore has a nice day on the ground.

The 49ers rank seventh in the NFL with 306.3 yards allowed per game and have given up virtually nothing on the ground. They have, however, shown some susceptibility to the pass, ranking 16th in the league with 243.7 yards allowed per game.

With this in mind, Vick could be poised for a big game. Though, the 49ers could catch a break if Jeremy Maclin, who leads the Eagles with 260 receiving yards, isn’t able to go. He is currently listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.

The Eagles have won the last five meetings in this series straight up and against the spread with the most recent being a 27-24 victory at San Francisco on Oct. 10, 2010.

Philly is 0-4 against the number in its last four at home, but keep in mind that it is 7-1 against the spread in its last eight games following a double-digit loss at home.

In regard to the total, the over has been the play. These two have combined to finish over the total in six of the last seven meetings.

Jimmy Boyd is off to a hot 6-2-1 start with his Sunday NFL plays through the first three weeks of the season. He is on a dominant 34-18-1 run (excludes preseason) on the pro gridiron dating back to last season. Join him again this Sunday for more expert premium picks!