San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons Picks and Predictions for Sunday October 25 2026
San Francisco almost blew a 20-point lead Monday night. The 49ers were beating Washington 23-3, everybody was probably thinking about getting home, and suddenly the Commanders were six points behind with a chance to steal the game. San Francisco survived, 23-17. Now the 49ers have to fly across the country on a short week and deal with Atlanta. The Falcons aren’t playing particularly good football, but that’s still a lousy travel schedule for a team that just spent Monday night fighting off a comeback.
The 49ers visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Kickoff is at 1:00 PM ET on FOX. San Francisco is favored by 3.5 points, with the total at 49.5. The stadium has a retractable roof, so weather shouldn’t be much of a factor if it’s closed. Check out our free NFL picks for more predictions throughout the season.
San Francisco 49ers Are Winning, Even When They Make It Difficult
San Francisco is 6-0 after Monday’s 23-17 win over Washington. The 49ers had 303 yards in the first half and led 20-3 at halftime. Looked like a blowout. Then the offense went quiet, the penalties started piling up, and Washington nearly stole it. Brock Purdy threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, while Christian McCaffrey scored twice on the ground. San Francisco made the defensive plays it needed late, but Kyle Shanahan probably wasn’t smiling much when he watched that second half on film.
The 49ers are averaging 29.5 points and allowing 18.3 per game. They’re getting 6.31 yards per play and converting 54% of their third downs. That’s an offense that can keep the chains moving without needing a 60-yard touchdown every other drive. Atlanta is giving up 25.5 points a game and has been struggling to stop teams once they get rolling. The Falcons have some dangerous offensive players, but their defense hasn’t been getting enough stops. San Francisco should be able to move the ball if it doesn’t spend another half shooting itself in the foot.
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Purdy has thrown for more than 1,400 yards this season, with 13 touchdown passes entering Monday’s game. McCaffrey remains the engine of the offense, and George Kittle is still one of Purdy’s favorite targets. Mike Evans caught passes for 94 yards Monday before aggravating an Achilles injury. That’s a concern with a short week. Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa are also out, and the 49ers have other injuries on defense. San Francisco has managed to win through all of it, but losing Evans for any length of time would make this offense a lot easier to defend.
Atlanta Falcons Need To Stop Digging Holes
Atlanta is 2-4 after losing 31-23 to Chicago on Sunday. The Falcons were down 31-7 late in the third quarter before finally waking up. Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Kyle Pitts, and Atlanta made the score respectable. But you don’t get much credit for making a comeback necessary in the first place. The Falcons have lost three straight home games, and now the undefeated 49ers are coming to town. Not a great time for the defense to be falling apart.
Atlanta averages 23.7 points and allows 25.5. The Falcons have been decent moving the ball, especially on the ground, but they’ve been too inconsistent in the red zone and too careless with turnovers. Their turnover margin is minus-five. San Francisco has been much better at protecting the ball, and that could be the difference Sunday. Atlanta needs to run the football and keep Purdy standing on the sideline. If the Falcons let the 49ers get ahead early, they’ll spend another afternoon trying to climb out of a hole.
Bijan Robinson has rushed for 641 yards, averaging 5.8 per carry, and he’s the best reason to think Atlanta can hang around. Drake London has 550 receiving yards, while Penix has thrown for more than 1,200 yards. Pitts caught two touchdowns against Chicago, which should give the offense another option near the goal line. The trouble is on defense. Atlanta has injuries at linebacker and cornerback, including concerns involving Kendal Daniels, Divine Deablo, C.J. Henderson, and Billy Bowman Jr. That’s not what you want when Purdy and McCaffrey are coming to town.
San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons Picks and Predictions
San Francisco 49ers -3.5 (-110)
I’ll lay the 3.5 with San Francisco. The short week bothers me, and Atlanta has enough offense to make this uncomfortable. Robinson can run the ball, Penix can throw it, and the Falcons have some receivers who can make plays. But that Atlanta defense has been giving up too much. Chicago put 31 on them, and the Bears aren’t the 49ers. San Francisco is averaging nearly 30 points, converting more than half its third downs, and protecting the football better than Atlanta. I don’t think the Falcons can keep up for four quarters unless the 49ers start turning it over. Give me San Francisco by a touchdown.
Under 49.5 Points (-110)
I’m going under 49.5. I know San Francisco has been scoring plenty, and Atlanta’s defense hasn’t been stopping much. But the 49ers are coming off a Monday night game, flying east, and dealing with injuries at receiver. That’s not a great setup for a perfect offensive performance. Atlanta needs to run Robinson and keep the ball away from Purdy. The Falcons can’t afford another game where they fall behind by three touchdowns and spend the second half throwing on every down. If Atlanta plays this the way it should, the clock will keep moving. I see something around San Francisco 27, Atlanta 20.
Final Picks: San Francisco 49ers -3.5 (-110) and Under 49.5 Points (-110)
This preview was completed October 20, 2026. Betting lines, injuries, roof status, and other game information may change before kickoff.
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