San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Matchup Preview (9/12/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Matchup Preview (9/12/21)

Kicking off one of the ten 1:00 pm kickoffs for the first NFL Sunday of the year is this matchup between the 49ers and the Lions. The 49ers are coming off a down year where most of their star players were injured like QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle, DE Nick Bosa, and RB Raheem Mostert. These players were crucial to San Francisco’s Super Bowl run and it will be interesting to see how far they go when all of these players are healthy. On the other side are the Lions who lost crucial players like WR Kenny Golladay, WR Marvin Jones, and QB Matt Stafford. They did add QB Jared Goff and rookie OL Penie Sewell along with first-time head coach Dan Campell in what will certainly be a rebuilding year for Detroit. This game has the potential to be a blowout, but there is a chance Detroit is better than most people think.

TV Schedule

Date: September 12, 2021
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Location: Ford Field – Detroit, MI
Coverage: FOX

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Live Stream

Where can you watch 49ers vs Lions online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch 49ers vs Lions Free Online Now.

Injuries

49ers 

DE Arik Armstead (Groin)
CB Jason Verrett (Undisclosed)
WR Brandon Aiyuk (Hamstring)
DT Maurice Hurst (Ankle)
QB Trey Lance (Thumb)
LB Samson Ebukman (Knee)

Lions

WR Tyrell Williams (Groin)
RB D’Andre Swift (Groin)
TE T.J. Hockenson (Shoulder)
QB Tim Boyle (Broken Thumb)
DL Michael Brockers (Undisclosed)
OL Logan Sternberg (MCL)

San Francisco 49ers Analysis

Health is one of the most important aspects of football and the 49ers were snake bitten with injuries last year. Last year they lost many key players to their Super Bowl run like QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle, RB Raheem Mostert, DE Nick Bosa, and DE Dee Ford. This year is different as they have all of those players healthy and have a promising young quarterback in Trey Lance. Lance was selected with the #3 overall pick in this year’s draft and should push Garoppolo in an intense battle for starting quarterback all season long. 

The 49ers’ offense should be back to form because of all of the starters they are returning. Garoppolo is an experienced player that can make all the throws that he is tasked with making. Luckily for him, it’s not that many because the 49ers running game is like watching poetry on TV. Somehow, they find a way to get running backs in the open field in a hurry, meaning guys like Mostert, rookie Trey Sermon, and JaMycal Hasty benefit a ton from the 49ers system. On the outside, players like WR Brandon Aiyuk, WR Deebo Samuel, and TE George Kittle also benefit from the running game because they get more room to work with since opposing teams are so focused on stopping the run. 

The defense might be better than the offense since they have excellent players at all three levels. Their stars include players like DE Nick Bosa, DE Arik Armstead, LB Fred Warner, and CB Jason Verrett. All of these players have All-Pro talent and fly around the football. 

The 49ers have one of the best rosters in the NFL, but the bad part is that they are stuck in the brutally difficult NFC West. It’s going to be a tall order to win this division considering they are competing against the Rams, Seahawks, and Cardinals every week. San Francisco has all of the star power in the world and they should be in the playoffs if they stay healthy this season. 

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB1: Raheem Mostert
RB2: Trey Sermon
WR1: Brandon Aiyuk
WR2: Deebo Samuel
WR3: Mohamed Sanu
TE1: George Kittle

Detroit Lions Analysis

Detroit fans are used to this by now, but it’s going to be another long and depressing season for the Lions. This offseason they lost a lot as they lost their face of the franchise in QB Matt Stafford as well as solid players like WR Kenny Golladay and WR Marvin Jones. They replaced Stafford with former #1 overall pick Jared Goff and didn’t get much for Golladay or Jones. All of the offensive production will be coming from RB D’Andre Swift and TE T.J. Hockenson as they have nobody important at the receiver position besides rookie WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. The offensive line shouldn’t be a burden this year as they picked outstanding rookie offensive lineman Penei Sewell. 

The defense should also be less than stellar as they don’t have many players on that side of the ball. DE Michael Brockers is their best player and he might miss time with an ankle injury. Other than that the Lions have to hope that guys like CB Jeff Okudah and S Will Harris can elevate their game this year or it could be another year of giving up 33.1 points per game. 

There isn’t much hope if you’re a Lions fan. The defense should remain as one of the worst in the league again this year and their offense isn’t built to pass the ball down the field. Get ready for another top 10 pick Detroit. 

Detroit Lions Depth Chart

QB: Jared Goff
RB1: D’Andre Swift
RB2: Jamall Williams
WR1: Tyrell Williams
WR2: Quintez Cephus 
WR3: Amon-Ra St.Brown
TE1: T.J. Hockenson

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Betting Corner

I’m a huge believer in Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers this season. Vegas doesn’t have them as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year for no reason. When you consider that they had a 6 win season last year with all of the talent they lost to injury, this team is way better than what they showed last season. Also, Detroit should be picking in the top 10 in this year’s draft. Losing Matt Stafford was a major blow to this team’s winning chances and I think Jared Goff will be a downgrade at the most important position in football. The 49ers also have a better offense, defense, and coach in this game so don’t be shy taking the 49ers’ spread. The reason why I chose the under is because the Lions will be unable to move the ball. The 49ers have some of the best defensive players in football in DE Nick Bosa, LB Fred Warner, and DE Arik Armstead and the Lions don’t have much on offense besides TE T.J. Hockenson and RB D’Andre Swift. Plus it’s also both teams’ M.O. to run the ball meaning the game will be over faster than most. It will be close but take under 45 points. 

Prediction: -7.5 49ers & Under 45 points