The 49ers are underdogs for the second week in a row. They’re 2.5-point underdogs in New Orleans, but the line hasn’t moved the way it did against the Ravens. That’s evidence of the 49ers’ rising standing among NFL fans.
San Francisco opened as 3.5-point underdogs in Baltimore. The line quickly rose to 6.5 points as money came in on the red-hot Ravens. The 49ers acquitted themselves very well in a 20-17 loss on a last-second field goal.
That Saints line hasn’t moved throughout the week even though the 49ers are on the second game of a two-game East Coast swing. They’re also coming off their second loss of the year, while New Orleans got extra days off after playing Thanksgiving night in Atlanta.
Talk of the 49ers needing to prove themselves is over, and it’s showing at least partially in the way the betting lines have acted the last two weeks. Had San Francisco played poorly in Baltimore, that Saints line surely would’ve moved off that 2.5 number.
It’ll be interesting to see if and how the line moves closer to game time when more public money starts coming in. Luckily for San Francisco – their 10-2 record speaks for itself. If they play well against the Saints and knock off the NFC’s No. 1 seed, they may not enter another game as underdogs all season.