Washington Commanders fans looking for national support Monday night won’t find much. Fresh off a 27-27 tie with the Giants, Washington (1-3-1) heads to Santa Clara to face a 49ers team that is 5-0 and favored by 7.5 points at FanDuel.
A Niners Wire roundup of expert picks counted 51 of 52 national picks for San Francisco, with Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox the only one taking the Commanders. Washington hasn’t won in San Francisco since 2004, per the team’s own game preview.
CBS Sports experts lay the points
49ers -7.5 (six of seven CBS Sports experts)
Six of seven experts on the CBS Sports against-the-spread panel, including Pete Prisco and John Breech, are laying the points. Ryan Wilson is the lone panelist taking Washington.
Daniel Kohn of SportsLine wrote that the Commanders are trying “to get past their debacle against the Giants, which led to the first tie of the season last Sunday.” That blown 14-point fourth-quarter lead has put Dan Quinn’s job under a brighter light in Ashburn.
Sports Illustrated staff goes 8-0 for San Francisco
49ers (8-0 staff vote)
All eight members of the SI staff picks panel, including Albert Breer and Conor Orr, took the 49ers.
SI betting analyst Iain MacMillan also took San Francisco to cover. “There’s a strong argument to be made that the 49ers are the best team in the NFL,” MacMillan wrote in his preview. The 49ers have won over the national media by ranking third in both points scored and points allowed.
Covers leans 49ers and the under
49ers -7.5 (lean), under 50.5
Jason Logan of Covers sided with San Francisco, barely. “I’ll lean toward the 49ers but would rather not lay the half-point hook on the touchdown,” Logan wrote for Covers this week.
He likes the under, too. “As efficient as the Niners offense has been, the San Francisco stop unit is equally as impressive,” Logan wrote. Washington has allowed at least 27 points in four straight games, and its second-half adjustment problem hasn’t gone away.
The models agree with the panels
49ers (ESPN 69%, numberFire 84.1%)
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the 49ers a 69% chance to win, and numberFire sits at 84.1%. The FanDuel Research game preview did offer Washington one note: “Washington is unbeaten ATS (1-0) as a 7.5-point underdog or more this year.”
Washington’s best hope is Jayden Daniels’ running edge after his 103-yard performance against New York.
Squawka sees a two-score game
49ers 31, Commanders 17
Tom Dutton of Squawka projected a 31-17 San Francisco win. “The 49ers are the best team in the league and Washington’s red-zone defense is the softest they will face,” he wrote.
Christian McCaffrey has five rushing touchdowns. The 49ers have found a better way to use him, and Mike Evans’ 92.3 overall grade ranks first among receivers at PFF. If Washington can’t force field goals in the red zone, the Knox pick won’t age well.
More on the Washington Commanders
- Commanders Need Their Best Four Quarters of the Season to Keep Pace With the Unbeaten 49ers
- Odafe Oweh’s Slow Start Raises Questions About Commanders’ $100M Bet
- Jayden Daniels’ Overtime Promise Faces Quick Test Against 49ers
- Can the Commanders Shock the 5-0 49ers? Answering 5 Questions Commanders Fans Are Asking
