In recent history it hasn’t mattered whether a team entering the NFL playoffs has home field advantage. The results have gone the way of the team that is playing the best over the course of the final weeks in the regular season and carrying that over into the postseason. The San Francisco 49ers might be that team in the 2014 NFL playoffs.
The 49ers won six-straight games to close out the regular season. Despite posting a 12-4 record San Francisco did not win the division. They finished one game behind Seattle and earned the No.5 seed as a wildcard. Over the weekend, the challenge was to go into Green Bay and play the Packers in frigid conditions. The game-time temperature was 5 degrees, but by the second half was 1 degree with a windchill well below zero.
Of all the teams in the playoffs though, the 49ers probably have the best combination of running the ball on offense and a front-seven on defense. This is a recipe for winning football games in the postseason.
With the win in Green Bay, San Francisco will now go to Carolina to face Cam Newton and the Panthers. Carolina is the No.2 seed in the NFC, winning the NFC South division with an equal 12-4 record. The Panthers went into San Francisco and beat the 49ers earlier in the season in Candlestick Park. But this is a different San Francisco team now.
This is evident in the betting lines. The 49ers were on the road in Lambeau field and were still set as three-point favorites over Green Bay. Moving into the Divisional round, San Francisco is once again a favorite on the road. This line for Carolina is slightly less though, going off at one point at BetOnline Sportsbook.
Like we said earlier though, oddsmakers understand what it takes to win playoff games and this is a team that has the makings to do it.
All one needs to do is look at what happened this past weekend. While Frank Gore is the centerpiece to the rushing attack, Colin Kaepernick showed once again that he is a huge playmaker with his legs. He was responsible for some of the most devastating runs that led to scores.
But at the same time, the matchup against Carolina presents a similar quarterback in Cam Newton. Both defenses should be prepared for one another, having to go against Kaepernick and Newton in practice.
During the seven-game win streak by the 49ers, they have not allowed a team to score more than 24 points, and four times have limited opponents to 17 points or less.