Packers vs. 49ers NFL Week 3 injury report, spread, odds: San Francisco, perhaps down 3 more running backs, favored to be final unbeaten team this season

Does anyone of sound mind really think the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFL? Surely not. Then again, the best team is not always the last undefeated club in a given season. Caesars Sportsbook oddsmakers list the Niners as +280 favorites to be last team without a loss in 2021 even though they are on potential upset alert and possibly down their top three running backs Sunday night vs. visiting Green Bay. The 49ers are -3.5.

Tampa Bay is a +260 favorite to win the NFC and the Los Angeles Rams are +550 with San Francisco at +600. So why aren't the Bucs (+300) or Rams (+400) favored to be the last unbeaten? Because they play each other Sunday late afternoon. Kansas City remains the +525 Super Bowl favorite, but the Chiefs already have a loss.

Keep in mind that the last unbeaten team in 2020 was Pittsburgh, which started 11-0 but finished 12-4 and was upset in the wild-card game by Cleveland. The last unbeaten team to then win the Super Bowl? The 2006 Colts, who started 9-0. In 2016, the Vikings were the last unbeaten team at just 5-0 and didn't even make the playoffs.

It will be fascinating to see who starts at running back for the Niners. Jeff Wilson is on injured reserve, Raheem Mostert was lost for the season in Week 1, and JaMycal Hasty and rookies Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon were all hurt in the Week 2 win at Philadelphia.

It sounds as if Hasty has no shot to play Sunday, Mitchell is "very questionable" and Sermon has the best chance -- he would have to be cleared out of concussion protocol later today. The third-round pick out of Ohio State was inactive Week 1 and then had just one carry for eight yards vs. the Eagles before leaving with a possible concussion. This week, the team signed ex-XFL running back Jacques Patrick, who could slot immediately into a featured role.

This will be the fifth meeting between these teams since October 2018 including playoffs – the Niners routed the Packers in the NFC title game following the 2019 season. It will be San Francisco's first game at Levi's Stadium in front of fans since then. One or both teams have scored 30-plus points in each of the last four meetings, and the past three all have been decided by at least 17 points.

It's a homecoming for Aaron Rodgers, who grew up near San Francisco. In 11 total games against the Niners, including playoffs, he has posted 23 TDs, five picks and a rating of 104.0. Green Bay enters on an eight-game winning streak in prime-time games, longest active in the NFL by far, going 7-1 ATS in them. San Francisco was 1-3 SU & ATS in prime-time games in 2020, losing twice as a favorite. 

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