The 49ers (-160) Are 0-3 When Rushing For Less Than 100 Yards

The Colts had the most Pro Bowl selections with seven — let’s talk about the last TNF game of the season 👇

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Thursday Night Football Preview

It’s not all that often the Titans and 49ers meet on the gridiron — in fact, they’ve played each other just four times in the 21st century (peep the highlights from their last meeting in Tennessee). But tonight’s matchup comes with a special sense of urgency, as both teams are jockeying for playoff positioning with the regular season winding down. Here’s how the lines are looking ahead of the Thursday night clash👇

TNF Betting Preview

• Spread: 49ers (-3) @ Titans

• Moneyline: Titans +140 (bet $100, win $140), 49ers -160 (bet $160, win $100)

• Over/Under: 44

San Francisco and Nashville may be 2,360 miles apart, but these two teams are side by side on the list of Super Bowl contenders. The Niners are +2200 (bet $100, win $2200) to raise the Lombardi Trophy, while the Titans are at +2500 🏆

Roller Coaster Niners

Is there a team in the NFL that has been more difficult to get a read on over the past few seasons than the Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers? Despite a similar roster makeup, San Francisco’s 2019 Super Bowl run is sandwiched between a pair of losing seasons in 2018 and 2020. And this year has only been a microcosm of that inconsistency

• After winning their first two games of the season, the 49ers dropped four in a row

• They’ve gone 6-2 since — over that eight-game span, the Niners’ offense is putting up 30.8 PPG and have only scored less than 30 pts once

Based on precedent, a cold spell could be looming in SF. But, I believe this recent run of success will continue — the 49ers have found their offensive focal point, and he happens to be one of the most dynamic players in the league 

• Deebo Samuel has been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, with 1,088 yards (6th in the league), five touchdowns through the air and a Pro Bowl selection

• However, he’s not just a receiver — over the past five games, Deebo has also rushed for 247 yards and six more scores 🤯

• All said, his 1,432 all-purpose yards this year rank fourth in the NFL. And he’s doing it with insane efficiency 

This Niners team will surely still have its ebbs and flows, but leaning on a jack of all trades like Samuel makes them a much more reliable threat

Trivia question: A second-round pick in 2019, Deebo was the third wide receiver off the board. Who were the two taken ahead of him? (answer below)

Ground & Pound

Deebo’s emergence out of the backfield is great news for a 49ers’ team, whose offensive identity revolves around the run game. The Titans are in the same boat, so expect tonight’s matchup to be dictated on the ground

• Tennessee ranks fourth in the league with 142.3 rush yards per game, while San Francisco checks in at seventh with 126.6

• The Niners are 8-3 when rushing for 100 yards in a game this season, and 0-3 when they don’t

Interestingly enough, despite both teams run-oriented attacks, lately its been difficult to predict exactly where that rushing production will come from

• Both teams will be without their leading rushers tonight; Derrick Henry has been out since October, and Elijiah Mitchell, who paces San Francisco with 759 yards on the ground this year, was ruled out due to a knee injury

• Since Henry went down, four different RBs have received at least 10 touches in a game for the Titans. D’Onta Foreman looks to be the hot hand at the moment, and his 135 total yards last week were a career-high

• Similarly for the Niners, Mitchell has primarily been the guy when healthy, but Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon and even Deebo have all had their moments this season

Injuries haven’t forced either team to change their identity yet, so there will still be carries to go around. But who ends up being the game’s leading rusher? Your guess might be as good as any 🤷🏻‍♂️

For My Parlay Gurus

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m all in on the Deebo hype train. My guy just picked up his first Pro Bowl nod, and he’s running so hard he’s knocking mouthpieces out. I like him to score for the sixth straight game, and despite a tough Titans run D (second-best in the league), I think the Niners stay hot tonight. Check this parlay👇

• Deebo Samuel anytime touchdown: +105

• 49ers -3 @ Titans: -115

$100 on this bet would win you $283 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100*. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: Marquise “Hollywood” Brown went 25th overall to the Ravens, and N’Keal Harry was selected by the Patriots with the last pick of the first round. Deebo went fourth in the second round, 15 picks before the Titans chose A.J. Brown