The San Diego Chargers won’t have to travel too far for their third preseason contest as they head onto nearby San Francisco to take on the 49ers. The Niner offense has been unable to put up points in this preseason, but they’ll get a chance to shine against a Chargers defense that has been ravaged by injuries.
Read on to find out if the struggling 49ers’ offense finally breaks out in this game. Speaking of which, also check out our list of 10 breakout candidates for the upcoming NFL season.
[sc:Football ]San Diego Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
When: Sunday, August 24, 4:00 PM ET
Line: San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers – see all NFL lines
Why This Game Matters
[sc:NFL240banner ]Chargers head coach Mike McCoy has a lot of reshuffling to do with his injury-plagued defense. With his defensive line in bad shape, McCoy won’t be able to field his optimal lineup in Week 3, which is normally the final time teams play their Week 1 starters. Instead, McCoy may just opt to play rookies in order to minimize any more damage.
As for the 49ers, time is running out for backup Blaine Gabbert, who’s struggled throughout the preseason, to prove his worth to head coach Jim Harbaugh. It’s also a big game for guard Joe Looney, who’s auditioning for a spot in the Niners’ O-line with Alex Boone’s future looking uncertain.
Betting on the San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers’ preseason preparations are being severely hampered by their rash of injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Their defensive line is incredibly banged up with starting nose tackle Sean Lissemore, Lawerence Guy and Damik Scafe all not expected to play against the San Francisco 49ers due to injury. Starting defensive end Corey Liuget played in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, but has also been bothered by an ankle injury over the past couple of weeks. Linebacker Manti Te’o has a strained foot and also won’t play at San Francisco.
With those players out, rookies Tenny Palepoi and Ryan Carrethers have gotten the playing time they wouldn’t have received had everyone been healthy. However, neither could do much about stopping the run, which the Chargers have struggled to do.
“We struggled there a little bit last night with that, so we’ve got to improve that,” said head coach Mike McCoy in response to his run defense, which gave up 243 yards to the defending champion Seahawks.
On the bright side, Kellen Clemens has all but secured the backup quarterback spot after consecutive impressive performances. Clemens will likely cede a few more snaps to starting QB Philip Rivers, who has played in just the first series of both preseason games. They should have top receiver, Keenan Allen, as one of their targets after he has yet to feature thus far in either preseason game.
Create a betting account now and get yourself ready for another incredible season of NFL football.
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers
The preseason hasn’t looked all too pretty for the 49ers, who’ve lost by a combined score of 57-3 in their two games against the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. But while it’s always imperative to stress that preseason records don’t matter, head coach Jim Harbaugh is still wary of his team’s execution.
“It’s off right now,” Harbaugh said. “Definitely off, in little correctable ways. That’s what I see. Feel like we can get it corrected.”
One player in particular who’s been off for the entire preseason is backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert. The former Jags QB went 8-of-14 for 40 yards against the Broncos but threw his second interception in as many preseason games. Thankfully, his other competitors for that backup spot haven’t taken advantage of his poor play.
Despite Gabbert’s struggles, rookie wide receiver Bruce Ellington has performed well in preseason, leading the Niners with seven catches and 59 yards in two games. He and fellow rookie, running back Carlos Hyde, have been two of San Francisco’s stand out offensive players. Their offense will also have No. 1 receiver Michael Crabtree back in the lineup against the Chargers. Crabtree is slowly recovering from a hamstring injury.
Guard Joe Looney will continue to start in place of starter Alex Boone, who’s in the middle of a contract holdout. Looney is in line to start in Week 1, but he won’t get to face the strongest of defensive lines because of the Chargers’ litany of injuries.
Writer’s Prediction
The 49ers’ play improves, but winning is far from the priority for Harbaugh. Even with a banged up defense, the Chargers take one on the road.
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