Usually, when your starting quarterback goes down for the season with a broken ankle, your team’s fortunes head to the gutter. However, the San Francisco 49ers still had not been able to trade the quarterback who took them to the NFC Championship last year, and so now Jimmy Garoppolo has a shot at redemption. He led the 49ers to a convincing win over Seattle last week after Trey Lance went down, and this week he takes the 49ers east to Denver, where the Broncos are still figuring things out with Russell Wilson. They looked headed to an easy win in Week 1 in Seattle, but the Bronco running backs fumbled twice inside the Seattle 5-yard line, and the team could not overcome those turnovers. Last week, Denver held on to beat Houston last week but did not look elite. Let’s look at this prime time matchup as you figure out your NFL betting choices for the weekend’s NFL action.
NFL Preview: San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos
(Sunday, September 25)
When: Sunday, September 25, 2022, 8:20 pm ET
Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver
TV: NBC
Radio: Westwood One
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: San Francisco -1.5 / O/U 44 // San Francisco -125 / Denver +105
Why should you bet on the 49ers?
JImmy G did not put up big numbers against Seattle (154 passing yards and a touchdown pass), but he did not need to, as Jeff Wilson Jr and Deebo Samuel both pounded the ball on the ground. The top receiver so far has been Brandon Aiyuk, with 103 receiving yards, but the strength of this team is its ability to dictate the rhythm of games. This strength was absent in the Week 1 loss in Chicago, but that game took place in a driving rain and saw the field flood. Under typical conditions, the 49ers can dominate the rhythm on both offense and defense.
On the defensive side of the ball, Nick Bosa leads the team with three sacks, and the 49ers have picked off three passes. Talanoa Hufanga is tops on the team with 17 total tackles (14 solo). In their last seven games, San Francisco has covered six times; in their last five road games, they have covered four. With that sort of consistency, and with a confident Jimmy Garoppolo under center, the 49ers have a lot more swagger than they did before Week 2.
Why should you put your money on the Broncos?
Russell Wilson has 559 passing yards through two games, but he is only completing 58.9% of his passes. Cortland Sutton has caught 11 passes for 194 yards to lead the team, and Jerry Jeudy has also gained 113 receiving yards. The running game has been solid, with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon III combining for 223 yards on the ground.
The defense has mounted a stout pass rush, as Dre’Mont Jones and Bradley Chubb each have two sacks, and Alex Singleton leads the team with 14 total tackles. However, for sports bettors, the Broncos have not been that reliable, covering just once in their last six games and j having failed to cover in four straight games coming after a win.
Final Score and Prediction
This line started at Denver -1 before moving in the 49ers’ direction, and this makes sense given the disparity in the two teams’ offensive performances over the weekend. San Francisco looked confident against a Seattle team that generally plays them well and definitely shut down Denver in the opener. Denver has a lot of talent around Russell Wilson, but things have not started to coalesce for them yet. I predict a final score of San Francisco 30, Denver 24.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
