San Francisco 49ers vs LA Chargers Odds, Lines, and Picks NFL Preseason Week 2
- The San Francisco 49ers are 5.5-point road favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in preseason action on Sunday (August 22nd, 7:30 pm ET)
- Third overall pick Trey Lance will see his second action of the preseason, while the Chargers are resting most of their key starters
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
Two teams with very different motives clash in Week 2 of the preseason on Sunday (August 22nd) at SoFi Stadium. On one side, you have the San Francisco 49ers, who are in the midst of one of the most prominent quarterback battles in the NFL. On the other side, you have the Los Angeles Chargers, who will be sitting virtually all of their key players.
49ers vs Chargers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | -255 | -5.5 (-110) | O 34 (-110) |
| LA Chargers | +205 | +5.5 (-110) | U 34 (-110) |
Odds as of August 20th at DraftKings.
As a result, the 49ers are currently 5.5-point favorites in a game that features a total of 34. San Francisco opened as 2.5-point favorites, but that number has steadily climbed since news broke that most of LA’s starters will be resting.
Kickoff is scheduled for just after 7:30 pm ET, and you can catch the action on the NFL Network.
Niners QB Competition
All eyes will be on Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance as they continue to fight for the Niners starting QB gig. Kyle Shanahan has said all along that Jimmy G will be the starter come Week 1, but his actions suggest he’s not ruling out Lance for the job.
The third overall pick in this year’s draft got first team reps in San Fran’s joint practice with LA on Friday, and showed the football world a glimmer of his potential in his preseason debut last week.
TREY LANCE 80 YARD 💣 pic.twitter.com/BDmoxo0Bzt
— PFF (@PFF) August 15, 2021
His 80-yard TD strike was four yards further than any pass Garoppolo has ever completed at the NFL level. In the moment, is also appeared to justify the enormous haul the Niners paid to trade up and draft him.
The rest of his debut however, was underwhelming. He finished just 5-of-14 for 128 yards, firing a few off target throws and absorbing four sacks. He didn’t attempt a single rush (his calling card at North Dakota State), and finished with the lowest Pro Football Focus passing grade of any first round rookie QB in Week1 of the preseason.
PFF passing grades among first round rookie QBs this preseason:
🇺🇸 Mac Jones – 82.0
✈️ Zach Wilson – 78.8
🐻 Justin Fields – 64.2
🐆 Trevor Lawrence – 58.5
⛏ Trey Lance – 49.0 pic.twitter.com/CEvlHxx1LI— PFF (@PFF) August 15, 2021
Lance should see some time with the first stringers on Sunday, but not before Jimmy G. Garoppolo is expected to play the first quarter, but will likely be without one of his main weapons.
Deebo Samuel left practice early on Friday with a hamstring injury, and it seems unlikely that San Francisco would want to risk any further injury in a meaningless game.
Derwin James pick-6 Jimmy Garoppolo. Pass intended for George Kittle on 3rd & Goal. pic.twitter.com/u5TZkZdFtb
— Leo Luna (@LeoLuna93) August 20, 2021
Garoppolo completed all three of his passes last week in a loss to KC, but his only series resulted in a punt. Neither QB will have to deal with LA’s most accomplished defenders, as both Joey Bosa and Derwin James are not expected to play.
Skeleton Chargers Crew
In addition to Bosa and James, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and the majority of the Chargers starting offensive line will also sit. That includes 2021 first round pick Rashawn Slater, who missed both joint practices with San Fran this week. Bryan Bulaga is hurt again and won’t play, while new center Corey Linsley will also rest.
That means it will be mostly backups protecting Easton Stick and Chase Daniel. Stick, who preceded Lance as the starter at North Dakota State, will start after impressing last week. He completed all seven of his throws for 63 yards versus the Rams, and is expected to play the first half.
#Chargers head coach Brandon Staley says QB Easton Stick will start on Sunday against the 49ers.
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) August 20, 2021
Daniel will mop up in the second half, fresh off completing 15-of-24 attempts against the Rams. Neither QB will have to deal with stud pass rushers Nick Bosa or Dee Ford, who are both working their way back from injury.
49ers vs Chargers Pick
LA was victorious in its first preseason game, but that was against a Rams team that started Duck Hodges and sat virtually all of their top players. The talent they’ll face on Sunday will dwarf last week’s competition, and they simply won’t have the skill on the field to match what the Niners are going to throw at them.
#49ers QB Trey Lance to WR Jauan Jennings vs. Chargers CB Donte Vaughn. pic.twitter.com/fv1QsLUshR
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 19, 2021
We can expect San Fran’s efficiency on offense to be high, especially during the first half when they’ll feature their starters, while the Niners defense should torch the Chargers backup linemen.
Pick: San Francisco 49ers -5.5 (-110)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
