NFC Championship Betting Odds: Can Anyone Stop San Francisco?

Like everyone's favorite Clint Eastwood film, the NFC has offered the good, the bad and the ugly throughout 2023-24.

A powerhouse from start to finish, the San Francisco 49ers are still here; at FanDuel Sportsbook, the NFC West champs currently show the shortest odds to win the NFC (-180) as well as Super Bowl LVIII (+175). Of course, with Wild Card Weekend now behind us, sides like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are long gone -- and not many predicted that both the Birds and 'Boys would be eliminated prior to the Divisional Playoffs.

Still, as the aforementioned NFC East franchises found out, the Detroit Lions (NFC North winner) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South winner) should not be slept on. From there, a young Green Bay Packers team is also playing invigorated.

With four clubs battling for a spot in Super Bowl LVIII, let us dive into the remaining NFC contenders.

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

NFC Championship Winner Betting Odds

NFC Championship Winner Analysis

San Francisco 49ers (-180)

As alluded to, the 49ers have been a juggernaut in 2023-24. Led by unanimous All-Pros on both sides of the football (Christian McCaffrey and Fred Warner), San Francisco's "Quest for Six" appears to be headed for the promised land. At 12-5 overall, the Niners earned the NFC's top seed, leaving them with a break from action on Wild Card Weekend. With the Divisional Round now here, San Francisco shows as a 9.5-point favorite over the incoming Packers.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will do well to not take Green Bay lightly this Saturday evening. As we just saw, the Pack pulled off an impressive road upset at "Jerry World" where Dallas had previously won 16 consecutive games. Now heading west, the Packers will face a roster that is arguably the most complete in the NFL.

In terms of scoring, San Francisco boasted the third-best offense (28.9 PPG) as well as the third-best defense (17.5 PPG against) this past year. Notably, second-year signal-caller Brock Purdy had one of the best quarterbacking seasons in 49ers' history. On 69.4% passing (including a league-best QBR of 72.7), Purdy threw for 4,280 yards -- a San Francisco single-season record.

Of course, the Niners also get after it on defense. Notching 22 interceptions this season, SF was tied for the top mark in 2023-24. Against the run, they were incredibly stout. Through 17 regular season contests, the 49ers allowed just 89.7 rushing yards per game, which was the third-best clip in the NFL.

With rain expected for the playoff contest against Green Bay, I'd say the ground game remains a prevalent factor.

Detroit Lions (+310)

The fact that the basketball franchise in town is at an all-time low matters not; the Lions have officially broken -- not one -- but two looming streaks. In 2023-24, Detroit won their division for the first time in 30 years. From there, this current group just won the team's first home playoff game since January 5th, 1992 in Pontiac. Basically, last Sunday night's victory versus the Los Angeles Rams is the Lions' lone postseason win at Ford Field. You have to start somewhere!

Led by head coach Dan Campbell and verteran quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions have an infectious swagger on the field. As exemplified by stars like Amon-Ra St. Brown (1,515 receiving yards) and Aidan Hutchinson (11.5 sacks), Detroit plays with the same grit and tenacity that Motor City is already known for.

From there, rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta have served as a needed shot in the arm for the offense; the Lions produced 27.1 PPG over the regular season, which was the league's fifth-highest rate. Notably, LaPorta suffered a lower body injury in Week 18, but the young tight end did well to rally for Wild Card Weekend. In the recent meeting with the Rams, LaPorta hauled in a pivotal touchdown reception. By game's end, Detroit was victorious by a narrow score of 24-23.

This upcoming Sunday, the Lions will host Tampa Bay. With the Bucs seemingly peaking at the right time, I'd expect another contentious battle in the 313.

Green Bay Packers (+950)

By this point in the year, Green Bay is the lone Wild Card team left in the postseason tournament (for either conference). Basically, the Packers are the only team left competing that did not win their respective division. However, after routing the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, GB has all the confidence they should need going forward.

As noted, the Pack will next travel to Northern California where the 49ers await. Of course, Green Bay is priced as a steep underdog for the second consecutive week. That -- along with the fact that head coach Matt LaFleur has another shot to take down former colleague Kyle Shanahan -- should provide the Packers with necessary motivation heading into the Divisional Round.

Somewhat surprisingly, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love produced a brilliant campaign in his first year as the starter. Upon completion of the regular season, Love finished second in touchdown passes (32), seventh in passing yards (4,159), and eighth in completions (372). Seemingly, the professional quarterbacking in Wisconsin appears to be in good hands -- as per usual.

This weekend in Santa Clara, the Packers will again lean on Aaron Jones. The burley tailback showcased a dominant performance last Sunday in Dallas, churning out 118 yards and three scores. With rain forecasted in the Bay Area on Saturday, the Niners should key in on slowing Jones. Naturally, that will be easier said than done.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1000)

Since winning Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers have made the playoffs every year. Of course, Tom Brady and Bruce Arians are no longer patrolling the field, but the current pairing of head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield has begun to produce dividends. For Bowles, Tampa has won the NFC South in both seasons since taking over.

Utilizing a defense with many players from their recent Super Bowl run, the Buccaneers gave up the seventh-fewest points this past season (19.1 PPG). Notably, nose guard Vita Vea clogs up the middle while linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David (134 tackles) play fast and furious from sideline to sideline. On the back end, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (12 PD, six sacks and four fumbles recovered) is one of the most complete DBs in the NFL.

On Tuesday, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Bucs as 6.5-point underdogs for Sunday's playoff bid in Detroit. Of the four teams left in the NFC, Tampa is the franchise to most recently win the conference (2021) despite showing the longest odds in the current market. As it is now, the Bucs yield 10-to-1 odds to reach Super Bowl LVIII.

The connection between Mayfield and future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Mike Evans has been as consistent as any this year. For Evans, 2023-24 was his 10th season in the league. Additionally, it was the 10th campaign in which Evans compiled over 1,000 yards. This year, Evans got to 1,255 yards receiving, which is the third-highest annual total of his career (and best since 2018). If Tampa hopes to escape Motor City, Evans will need to be prevalent.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.