Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers Odds

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick made the most of his opportunity when starting quarterback Kevin Kolb left with a concussion in a Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Now, fate has given Kolb a second chance.

Vick, who earned NFC offensive player of the month honors in leading the Eagles to a pair of September road wins, was knocked out of last Sunday’s loss to Washington with cartilage damage in his ribs.

Vick is expected to miss one or two games with the injury, giving Kolb another chance to show the Eagles why they made him their starting quarterback in the first place.

The San Francisco 49ers, who were the preseason favorites to win the NFC West, have to be happy about seeing Kolb, who hasn’t performed well in limited action this season.

The Niners are trying to avoid their first 0-5 start since 1979 when they opened the season 0-7.

In terms of making the playoffs, this could already be a must-win game for San Francisco. No team has advanced to the postseason after starting the year 0-4 since the 1992 San Diego Chargers.

The key to a 49ers win this week is the play of quarterback Alex Smith. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005 just hasn’t gotten the job done. Smith is tied for the league lead with seven interceptions, and his 66.1 quarterback rating is among the worst in the NFL.

In his first game under new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson, Smith completed 21 of 32 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. He helped his team jump out to a 14-0 lead over Atlanta, but he also cost his team with two second-half interceptions.

Head coach Mike Singletary has said he is sticking with Smith, but he might not be able to defend his starting quarterback much longer if the offense doesn’t improve. San Francisco is averaging an NFC-low 251.5 yards and 13.0 points per game.

At some point it all comes down to Smith making plays because running back Frank Gore has certainly done his part. He leads all NFC players in yards from scrimmage with 533 and ranks second in the conference with 29 grabs.

It is worth noting that the 49ers are an unbeaten 4-0-1 against the spread in their last five home games.

Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy, who replaced the great Brian Westbrook (now a 49ers backup), is having a strong season of his own. He leads the Eagles with 273 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, McCoy is doubtful for Sunday’s game with a broken rib. This means that Kolb, who hasn’t look like a confident passer this season, may have to win this one through the air. He certainly has the weapons in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to have a breakout performance.

The Eagles have won four in a row straight up and against the number in this matchup. They are also an impressive 11-4 against the spread in their last 15 games as a road underdog.

About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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