Prediction, Betting Splits & Who’s Playing in 49ers vs Chargers (Aug 20)

• The 49ers are 1.5-point road favorites over the Chargers tonight in NFL Preseason action
• Both teams will play their starters, but San Fran is missing most of their key skill position players
• Get the top prediction, betting splits and who’s playing in 49ers vs Chargers on Aug 20, below

The night cap of tonight’s NFL preseason twin bill features the Chargers hosting the 49ers. These two teams battled earlier in the week in joint practices, with all reports indicating LA got the upper hand. Online sportsbooks and prediction markets aren’t fazed by the news however, as they’ve pegged San Fran as short road favorites in the NFL odds. That’s a sentiment I completely disagree with, and will provide all of my reasons below.

Kickoff for this California clash is set for 7 pm PT, 10 pm ET, from SoFi Stadium, with NFL Network providing broadcast coverage. Keep reading for my prediction, betting splits and who’s playing in the 49ers vs Chargers Aug 20th contest.

Who’s Playing in 49ers vs Chargers

Both teams will dress their starters tonight, with LA reportedly giving their number ones a single series, and the Niners giving theirs one to two possessions. The bigger news out of San Francisco is who isn’t playing, rather than who is.

The 49ers, a top-11 Super Bowl odds contender, will be without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Mike Evans and Christian Kirk on offense. That leaves Brock Purdy without a ton of playmakers to throw to, and he’ll need to rely on the combo of Deebo Samuel and DeMarcus Robinson on the outside, and Patrick Taylor in the backfield.

Purdy should have All-Pro tackle Trent Williams in front of him, but most likely for just a few snaps. Defensively, Fred Warner will see the field, but that side of the ball has been a major issue all summer long.

For the Chargers, Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and Ladd McConkey will play, as will stud tackle Joe Alt. LA was dominant in Week 1 of the preseason, while new OC Mike McDaniel had the offense humming even with Herbert and the starters on the sidelines. The Chargers offense is expected to be much more dynamic with McDaniel this season, which is a big reason LA is drawing a ton of interest in the NFL win totals.

Prediction in 49ers vs Chargers

• Chargers +1.5 (53-cents at Kalshi)

McDaniel’s offense averaged nearly 10 yards per pass attempt last week in a 27-7 win over the Texans, while completing 50% of their third down attempts. They generated six plays of 15+ yards, despite rolling out Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei under center. Those two are in a competitive battle for the Chargers backup QB job, and McDaniel is expected to let them air it out again tonight.

They should find success against a very young secondary, but they’re also poised for success on the ground. Reports out of joint practices claim the Chargers were bullying the 49ers defensive line, which is exactly what happened to San Fran in their first preseason outing. They fell to the Titans last week, yielding over 5 yards per rush attempt, while generating just 3 yards per carry themselves.

When it comes to the 49ers offense, the reviews haven’t exactly been glowing either. Both Kyle Shanahan and Purdy have been vocal in the media about the lack of success in joint practices, and the laundry list of injuries only makes it worse. Backup Mac Jones will take over after Purdy, and while he has a ton of NFL starting experience, the talent cupboard he’ll be left to work with is pretty bare.

Given what we’ve seen so far this summer, the Chargers are a clear bet in this matchup. Their recent preseason trends support this, as they’ve scored 23+ points in five straight exhibition games under NFL Coach of the Year Odds candidate Jim Harbaugh. The 49ers meanwhile, have reached that number only once in their last seven preseason contests.

I’ll take LA +1.5, but I don’t hate playing the moneyline instead. Traditional sportsbooks are pricing those lines at -118 and +100 respectively, but you can find better odds at prediction markets like Kalshi. Don’t forget to claim the Kalshi promo code for a bonus to use on NFL preseason action.

Odds in 49ers vs Chargers

Odds as of Friday, August 20th from various online sportsbooks. Get the Bet365 promo code to bet on NFL.

Betting Splits in 49ers vs Chargers

Moving over to the NFL public betting splits, where the tickets and handle in the moneyline and spread markets are on the same side as me. 64% of the ATS bets and 76% of the money is on LA +1.5, while 57% of the moneyline wagers and 59% of the handle is also backing the Chargers.