Steve Starr
- The San Francisco 49ers (8-4) are 4-point home favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
- Kyle Shanahan will be forced to start Brock Purdy for the remainder of the year following Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending foot injury
- The Week 14 game on FOX will kick off from Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, December 11 at 4:25pm ET
Tom Brady gave us another glimpse at greatness on Monday night. After only scoring three points all night, the 45-year-old orchestrated two-straight touchdown drives in the final five minutes to lead the Buccaneers to a 17-16 comeback victory over the division-rival Saints.
With the win, Tampa Bay now has a 1.5-game lead in the NFC South. Padding they might need considering their next two games are against the 49ers and Bengals. Before we check the odds on Sunday’s game versus San Francisco, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2022.
49ers vs Buccaneers
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +4 (-110) | +155 | Ov 37 (-110) |
| San Francisco 49ers | -4 (-110) | -180 | Un 37 (-110) |
The Brock Purdy era begins
Kyle Shanahan can’t catch a break. With Trey Lance already out for the year, the Niners lost Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending foot injury on Sunday. Brock Purdy performed well in his place, throwing for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 33-17 victory over Miami. But, you have to wonder if San Francisco is still a Super Bowl contender.
While Shanahan’s scheme makes life easy for quarterbacks, Purdy’s arm makes Jimmy G’s pea shooter look like a cannon. And once defenses study the tape, they’ll find ways to shutdown Mr. Irrelevant (the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft) in the postseason.
Brock Purdy vs Dolphins:
• 25/37
• 210 yards
• 2 TD
• 1 INT
• 88.8 passer ratingThe 49ers QB looked IMPRESSIVE stepping in for Jimmy Garoppolo 👀 pic.twitter.com/xUc4r8hhRZ
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) December 5, 2022
Bucs remain ugly on offense
Tampa Bay looked headed towards an embarrassing NFC South dogfight with the Panthers, Saints and Falcons. But, after an improbable comeback versus New Orleans on Monday Night Football, Tom Brady looks to be playoff bound.
Generating offense against the 49ers D will be a challenge, however. The Buccaneers have scored the sixth-fewest points per game (18.1) in the league. And DeMeco Ryan’s unit is tops in the NFL, allowing the fewest total yards (283.9) and points (15.8) per game.
49ers vs Buccaneers
San Francisco is a 4-point home favorite at Levi’s Stadium and the game’s over/under is set at just 37 points. The lowest total on the entire slate. Not surprising considering what we saw from the Bucs’ offense for the first 55 minutes on Monday night.
For a successful homecoming to the Bay Area, Brady will need his defense to keep it close. Todd Bowles’ unit is top five in points allowed per game (18.2) and top ten in preventing passing yards (195.3). However, they’ve only been average against the run, permitting 118.4 yards per contest.
TOM BRADY DOES IT AGAIN 🐐 pic.twitter.com/vMVU1GXXKC
— PFF (@PFF) December 6, 2022
Best Bet
Christian McCaffrey looked far from healthy in Week 13, but he still gutted out 146 total yards and a score. Expect Shanahan to dial up a heavy dose of run plays for CMC, rookie Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel on Sunday. It sure beats the alternative of putting the game on the shoulders of his seventh-round rookie QB.
On the other side of the ball, Brady is going to be in big trouble if his All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs can’t suit up again this week. In Week 13, Nick Bosa registered three sacks and five QB pressures against a Dolphins team missing both starting tackles.
Final Score Prediction: San Francisco 19, Buccaneers 13
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
