San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 25th 2022
Ben Miller
The San Francisco 49ers started the season 0-1 and it didn’t look good. However, week 2 looked a lot more promising, as they came away with a 27-7 win. So, what changed between week 1 and week 2? For starters, Trey Lance got injured and Jimmy Garoppolo took over. With Garoppolo under center, the San Francisco 49ers excelled and secured a win over a rival.
The Denver Broncos are 1-1 heading into the Sunday night game. With Russell Wilson under center, we’d imagine their offense would be much better. However, injuries and play calling have held the Broncos back. Jerry Jeudy, the primary wide receiver, is currently listed as questionable. With injuries and poor play calling, can the Broncos come away with a win?
49ers vs. Broncos Betting Odds
TV: NBC
MONEY LINE: Raiders (-124) vs. Broncos (+106)
SPREAD: 49ers -1.5 (-110) vs. Broncos +1.5 (-110)
GAME TOTAL: Over 44.5 (-114) vs. Under 44.5 (-106)
49ers vs. Broncos Preview, Trends and Stats
The 49ers under Jimmy Garoppolo are a much better football team. This is a team that went to the NFC Conference Championship Game last season. Last week, Garoppolo only threw for 154 yards and a touchdown, but he managed the game well. Don’t forget; he had a rushing touchdown too.
Leadership and consistency are what Garoppolo brings to the 49ers' offense. On the ground, the 49ers average 182.5 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth overall. They’ll use this running game to batter the Broncos' defensive line. This will likely result in opening up the passing game.
Although they rank 29th in the NFL in passing yards per game, this isn’t much of a concern. The Broncos have one of the best secondaries in the NFL, allowing just 165.5 passing yards per game. The focal point of the 49ers' offense is running the ball, so passing won’t be too impactful.
The Denver Broncos offense is taking a few weeks to get going and it started in week 1. In their first game of the season, the Broncos lost 17-16 to the Seattle Seahawks. You could argue that it was because they were on the road. Still, we need to see much more from the Broncos here.
Russell Wilson has a current quarterback rating of 47.8, one of the worst in the league. Still, the Broncos have averaged 265.5 passing yards this season, ranking eighth in the league. Their rushing offense is one of the best in the league as well, averaging 126.0 yards per game.
One thing the Broncos have done incredibly well this season is play defense. They were one of the best teams in the league last season and this season they’re doing the same. On average, the Broncos have allowed only 13.0 points per game. So, who’s the best bet for this game?
49ers vs. Broncos Picks
This game will be a strict offense versus defense kind of game and it starts with Denver. Their inability to put points on the board could be a big problem on Sunday night. You’ll also have to take into consideration that Jerry Jeudy might be out. Along with injuries, play calling has been extremely poor through their first two weeks.
Because of this, we’re going to take the San Francisco 49ers on the road. They’re only 1.5-point favorites, meaning they won’t need to cover too much. Although it’ll be a close game, we think Jimmy Garoppolo will pull off another significant win here.
Final Score: 24-16 (49ers)
EXTRA POINTS
1. The San Francisco 49ers are 6-1 against the spread in their last 7 games.
2. The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 5 games.
3. The 49ers have a 6-3 record against the spread in their last nine games against Denver.
Best Bet: San Francisco 49ers -1.5 (-110) and Under 44.5 (-106)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos
Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. ran for third-quarter touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers posted a 24-15 win over the host Denver Broncos on Monday in preseason action.
Mostert, who finished with six carries for 58 yards, ran 30 yards for his TD, bursting up the middle, cutting right and then sailing to the end zone untouched. Wilson added a 1-yard scoring run.
San Francisco starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played three series, resulting in an interception and two punts. He completed just 1 of 6 passes for 0 yards.
Garoppolo's backup, C.J. Beathard, went 5 of 11 for 81 yards for the 49ers (2-0).
Joe Flacco connected on 7 of 11 passes for 59 yards while playing the first quarter for the Broncos (1-2).
"A lot of things felt good," Flacco told the ESPN broadcast midgame. "I'm excited about how it went overall. We just have to clean up a couple of those things that we messed up."
Denver quarterback Kevin Hogan threw an interception but also ran 24 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. He completed 5 of 15 passes for 40 yards.
--Field Level Media