Jimmy Garoppolo will be an underdog in his first trip back to New England since getting traded from the Patriots to the 49ers during the 2017 season. San Francisco opened as high as five-point underdogs, but that number has fallen to 1.5 points on BetMGM.
The number dropping 3.5 points means money has come in on the 49ers. Garoppolo’s showing in Week 6 vs. the Rams surely has something to do with that. His ability to execute the game plan is likely going to be the difference in whether the 49ers win or lose Sunday at Gillette Stadium. He looked good enough against the Rams, while the Patriots struggled badly in a home loss to the Broncos, to warrant confidence that his high ankle sprain is feeling better and he’s ready to build on last Sunday’s win.
Another key will be San Francisco’s ability to stop Cam Newton when he runs. They’ve been bad at slowing down quarterbacks on the run this year, and Newton is one of the NFL’s most effective signal callers in that regard. If it comes down to Garoppolo outplaying Newton, he’ll need to play his best game of the year at his old stomping grounds in New England.
Early money on the game exhibits some confidence from bettors that he’ll be able to do that.
