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Eagles vs. 49ers predictions: Expert Week 13 picks for NFC championship rematch

Will the Birds beat the Niners at the Linc like they did back in January? The experts are divided.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the ball during January's NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. The teams will meet again on Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the ball during January's NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. The teams will meet again on Sunday.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

The Eagles just keep winning games. An overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills brought the Birds to 10-1 so far on the season and firmly cemented them in the top spot in the NFC.

Now, the Birds face underdog status for the first time at home this season in an NFC championship game rematch against the San Francisco 49ers. According to FanDuel, the Niners are favored by 2.5 points on the road in Sunday’s game, set to kick off at 4:25 p.m.

Both teams were projected to be among the top in the NFL again this season and they’ve lived up to the hype. In addition to beating the Bills, the Birds picked up wins against the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Dolphins over the past six weeks, while the 49ers (8-3) have continued to barrel through the NFC West, setting up one of the most anticipated games of the year.

» READ MORE: Eagles-Seahawks schedule flex insults NFL fans and plays a dangerous game | Mike Sielski

We know what the odds say, but what about football reporters, writers, and analysts, both locally and nationally? Let’s take a look at some predictions, starting with our own beat writers ...

Inquirer beat writer predictions

The Eagles are underdogs against the 49ers, but not all of our beat writers agree. The Birds have stepped up in big games so far this year, and EJ Smith is picking them to do it again on Sunday ...

Overall, the 49ers are talented enough to beat anybody. The Eagles have shown they can beat anybody as well, even without playing their best, but beating this 49ers team may require them to inch closer to the level we have yet to see them reach. Whether they reach it is anyone’s guess, but they’ve shown me enough to avoid picking against them in the big games at this point.
Prediction: Eagles 28, 49ers 24
EJ Smith

For more from EJ and to see all our beat writers’ picks for Sunday, check out our full Week 13 predictions here.

National media predictions

Here’s what those around the country think about Sunday’s game between the Eagles and 49ers ...

  1. ESPN.com: Just three of ESPN’s 10 experts are backing the Eagles this week.

  2. NFL.com: All five experts picked the Birds last week, but only two believe they’ll pull the upset against the 49ers.

  3. CBS Sports: All but one expert picked the Eagles to win against the Bills, but the CBS Sports team flipped quickly. Every single expert picking the 49ers to take home the win at the Linc. Only one even picked the Birds to cover.

  4. Sports Illustrated: It hasn’t been a great week for Sports Illustrated, but their experts are predicting it’ll be a good one for the Birds, with five of seven picking the Eagles to beat the 49ers.

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  1. The Ringer: Ringer expert Sheil Kapadia makes his picks against the spread. He picks the Eagles to cover, and Kyle Shanahan to lose his “regular season Super Bowl.” His words, not Kyle’s, but it sure seems like it, no?

  2. Yahoo! Sports: Frank Schwab, who also picks against the spread, asks the question many in Philly are also asking, which is why the 49ers are favored over the Eagles despite being a road team with an inferior record. But Schwab thinks the 49ers’ “best looks different than every other team,” and picked the Niners to cover.

  3. The Athletic: Four of The Athletic’s 12 experts picked the Birds this week.

  4. USA Today: Four of USA Today’s five experts are backing the Eagles to win, and all five picked the Birds to cover the spread.

» READ MORE: Brock Purdy sees the 49ers trash talking in his name. He wants to stay out of it.

  1. Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio and Chris Simms both picked against the Eagles this week. “The 49ers will outplay the Eagles. Can the 49ers outscore them?” OK, that’s kind of rude.

  2. Bleacher Report: Just two of Bleacher Report’s experts picked the Birds this week, with the other five giving the 49ers the nod in part due to the revenge factor.

  3. Sporting News: Bill Bender is going with the Eagles and their clutch gene to pull out a close one.

Local media predictions

  1. Philly Voice: Four of the five writers are picking the Birds, including beat writer Jimmy Kempski.

  2. Bleeding Green Nation: Eight of their nine writers are backing the Eagles.

  3. Niners Nation: Marc Delucchi picks the Eagles to win at home.

  4. Mercury News: Niners beat writer Cam Inman picks San Francisco to win on the road.