Expect 49ers to inflict more pain on Lions
Most franchises in the NFL feature a quarterback as the star attraction. The face of the San Francisco 49ers, however, is a former quarterback, and the attraction of coach Jim Harbaugh is powerful.
The league is full of laid-back coaches, but Harbaugh is in the handful of exceptions.
Harbaugh has a fiery personality, to say the least. He pushes the right buttons with his players, gets feisty with the media and is willing to pick fights with other coaches. The last point sets up San Francisco’s meeting with the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.
The overhyped post-handshake feud between Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz, the Lions’ coach, was one of last season’s most memorable moments. After the 49ers’ dramatic win in Detroit, Harbaugh hit Schwartz with a karate chop and a back slap, and the loser on the receiving end did not appreciate the mixed martial arts tactics.
Forget an apology, because Harbaugh is not out to win friends. Schwartz surely wants revenge in the worst way, but he’s probably in for more punishment.
The Lions looked sloppy in their opener, as Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions and was lucky to pull out a last-minute victory over St. Louis.
The 49ers, meanwhile, were a fine-tuned machine in their upset win in Green Bay. Discipline and toughness are the traits of Harbaugh’s teams.
San Francisco’s plus-28 turnover ratio was the best in the league last year. Its defense is relentless. Its offense is riding a streak of 26 quarters without a turnover, and quarterback Alex Smith recently topped Steve Young’s franchise record with 185 consecutive completions without an interception. Smith completed 20 of 26 passes against the Packers, whose defense embarrassed the Bears’ Jay Cutler on Thursday.
The Lions failed to cover their final five games on the road last season, when the 49ers went 8-1-1 against the spread at Candlestick Park. I’ll lay 7 points with San Francisco and expect Harbaugh to stick it to Schwartz again.
Four more plays for Week 2 (Home team in CAPS):
■ Ravens (+2½) over EAGLES: This is not an overreaction to Week 1. Philadelphia, which has covered four of its past 11 home games, continues to disappoint. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick threw four interceptions against Cleveland and now faces a far better defense. It’s up to Joe Flacco to outplay Vick.
■ SEAHAWKS (+3½) over Cowboys: The favorite will be the popular side, but Dallas is tough to trust laying points on the road. Seattle, 12-5 ATS at home under coach Pete Carroll, was overvalued last week but is worth backing as an underdog.
■ STEELERS (-5½) over Jets: It will take more than one scoring explosion against Buffalo to convince me the Jets’ offense is legit. Pittsburgh, 10-4 ATS in its past 14 at home, should be back to full strength on defense. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are in a good bounce-back spot.
■ FALCONS (-3) over Broncos: Peyton Manning’s impressive debut in Denver was no fluke, but the circumstances are much different this week. The Falcons, who have covered 10 of their past 14 at home, are loaded with offensive firepower.
Last week: 3-2 against the spread
Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM, 98.9 FM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
