New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers odds, expert picks, how to watch: 49ers are big favorites

An unexpected two-game losing streak has the San Francisco 49ers seeking answers when they host the New England Patriots . San Francisco will try to overcome injuries on both sides of the ball against a New England team that owns a gutsy Week 1 upset over Cincinnati . Even without key players, the Niners are nearly double-digit favorites over the Patriots.

Star players continue to battle the injury bug for San Francisco. Christian McCaffrey (IR), Deebo Samuel and George Kittle (questionable) have all missed time for the offense, although Kittle and Samuel are expected to play this week. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dre Greenlaw are sidelined for Week 4. Even quarterback Brock Purdy (back) popped up on this week's injury report.

On the positive side, Purdy looked comfortable moving the 49ers offense in spite of the injuries. Jauan Jennings elevated from reserve to go-to performer with 11 catches, 175 yards and three touchdowns in Samuel's place during Week 3. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk and running back Jordan Mason are steady options to keep things moving. The Patriots struggled to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Jets passing game in Week 3. Purdy and San Francisco's second-ranked passing offense could attack New England's secondary often.

New England needs an offensive overhaul after only a field goal and 11 first downs in its loss to the Jets. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson stalled to modest results after the backfield delivered a strong start. Struggling to get downfield, quarterback Jacoby Brissett was replaced by first-round pick Drake Maye for the final four minutes.

New England's offensive line must protect better. The group allowed seven sacks against New York. Nick Bosa leads a versatile San Francisco defense with eight sacks from seven different players.

All odds from BetMGM . Looking for NFL tickets? Find them here .