One of the enduring pieces through several recent 49ers playoff runs has been TE George Kittle. He had a bit of a slow start to his season, but has seen his star ascend again in part thanks to great chemistry with new QB Brock Purdy. As part of TheLines’ NFC Championship preview in the NFL playoffs, we’ll take a look at George Kittle props.
The San Francisco 49ers are underdogs on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles and the game has a -point over/under. Place a bet on Kittle’s props by clicking any odds in the post.
George Kittle Player Props
For more props analysis this weekend, visit our NFL Player Props page.
George Kittle Receiving Props: Yardage
The first thing that may jump out to those perusing Kittle’s props is that the yardage () looks a bit low. Indeed, that’s because it is. Kittle has averaged 60.7 yards per game since Purdy took over as the starter.
However, note that distribution of those yards has seen Kittle go under this number in four of seven games. His performances have been concentrated in three big games that saw him go for 90 or more yards.
Furthermore, the Eagles have done very strong work against tight ends this season. While they allow more than their share of catches — 7.4 per game — Football Outsiders credits them for the sixth-best efficiency in the NFL in this department. As part of the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, that should come as little surprise.
Off-ball LB TJ Edwards has been known as a coverage ace for years and may be the primary driver of this number. In a low-scoring contest last season, the Eagles held Kittle to four catches for just 17 yards.
However, he did incinerate them for 185 yards in a 2020 game. But, that came under the previous coaching staff and in a season in which offense was quite inflated compared to the 2022 environment.
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Receptions, Longest Reception
Four receptions looks like the right number here, and that’s where the market is sitting with heavy juice on over 3.5. This is as high as -160 in some spots at the time of writing. Kittle has averaged 4.1 receptions with Purdy on 5.6 targets. Unlike his yardage, which has fluctuated big time, Kittle has a median of 4 receptions as well.
Longest reception seems pretty high at considering the modest total output the market expects of Kittle. While the star TE has been targeted downfield frequently by Purdy — he has an average depth of target in the double digits in three of Purdy’s seven starts — he has also barely cleared 21 total yards in three of those games.
Considering the amount of pressure the Eagles bring — they rank first in sack rate — expect more quick passes than deep shots here. Kittle should have to break some tackles to reach this figure, although he’s admittedly quite good at that.
George Kittle Touchdown Props
Kittle has been a staple of the 49ers’ red zone attack for years, and that has only intensified with Purdy at QB. After only scoring 4 TDs in the first 12 weeks of the season, Kittle found the end zone in four of the final five, spiking it seven times total.
However, he has yet to score in the playoffs.
Still, bettors who are optimistic about the 49ers’ chances to put up points could do worse than the +195 available at the time of writing for a Kittle TD.
NFC Championship Odds: 49ers At Eagles
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