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Washington Redskins at San Francisco 49ers NFL Odds

Written by Steve Janus

redskins-49ers-122608 The Washington Redskins won’t be able to take much away from the second half of their 2008 campaign. They’ve lost 5 of their last 7 games and have been eliminated from the playoff picture. All indications are that head coach Jim Zorn will be back next season, but the Redskins’ collapse this season will certainly have him skating on thin ice next season. When Mike Singletary took over head coaching duties for the 49ers it looked like a foregone conclusion that he would be replaced after the season. Since losing their first two games under Singletary, however, the Niners have since won 4 of their last 6 games and it’s looking more and more like the former Chicago great will be be at the helm for San Francisco next year. Neither the Redskins or the 49ers will play in the playoffs this season, but they’ll both be looking to support their coach by ending the regular season with a win. The 49ers are favored by 3 at home over the Redskins with the total set at 37.5 points.

Washington ranks near the bottom of the NFL in offensive points per game, scoring just 16.1 points per game, that’s below the 0-15 Detroit Lions and the 2-13 Kansas City Chiefs. The Redskins rushing game, which ranks 8th in the NFL at 131 yards per game, has been effective when Clinton Portis has been healthy, but their passing attack ranks 22nd in the league with just 209 yards per contest. Starting quarterback, Jason Campbell has taken good care of the ball, throwing just 6 interceptions on the year, but it’s becoming more and more apparent that his conservative style may not be in the best interest of the franchise. This week the ‘Skins face a San Francisco defense that has improved impressively over the past few months. They’ll need to take care of the ball, it’s a goal for every NFL team, but they’ll also need to take some shots down field to get past the Niners this week.

Much of Washington’s success early success this year has been based on their defensive play. This unit has been consistent throughout the season and it’s clear they are not to blame for the Redskins’ second-half woes. They rank 4th in the NFL in points allowed per game with opponents scoring just 17.9 points per game against them. They also rank in the top 10 in both rushing and passing yards allowed. Washington just needs to do what they’ve been doing this season on defense and hope that the offense can put some points on the board. Bet the Redskins +3 this week.

On the season the 49ers offense hasn’t looked that strong, scoring just 20.8 points per game and gaining only 308 yards per game, but they have improved down the stretch. They’ve scored over their season average in 4 of their last 7 games and out-gained their season average for total yards in 5 of those 7 games. This week they face one of the better defenses in the NFL and will need to establish some kind of a rushing attack, something they’ve struggled with the season, averaging under 100 yards per game on the ground.

Defensively the 49ers have a lot of room to improve, but much like the offense, the defense has started to play more effectively as of late. They haven’t allowed more than 16 points in any of their last 4 games and that’s translated into 3 wins for San Francisco. One the season the 49ers rank just in the middle of the pack (16th) in total offensive yardage allowed and 21st in points allowed with 23.8 per game. This is not one of the better offenses that the 49ers have faced this year, so expect them to be able to keep the Redskin attack in check for the most part. San Francisco is favored by 3 points this week.

This game should be a low-scoring affair with Washington’s great defense and lack of a potent offense. San Francisco has been playing motivated football since Mike Singeltary was appointed head coach and the team should rally behind him with a gutsy performance this week.

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