Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers Sunday Night Football Betting Preview

On Sunday night in Week 10, two California-based teams will go at it when the Los Angeles Chargers meet the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are in second place in their respective divisions, but it is the 49ers who are favored by a touchdown at home here.

In what should be an interesting contrast of styles, the Chargers will look to gain the edge with their passing game, while the 49ers will aim to gain the upper hand with their defense.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers won last week, defeating the Atlanta Falcons on the road to get to 5-3 on the season. Despite a slow start, the Chargers were able to stabilize things with their passing game, taking advantage of a Falcons defense that ranks last in the NFL in pass defense.

This week, the Chargers face a much better pass defense in that of the 49ers, and will have to play mistake-free football to move the ball through the air.

For the Chargers to upset the 49ers, they will need Austin Ekeler to continue to play at an elite level. After a slow start to the season, Ekeler has caught fire over the last few weeks, scoring two or more touchdowns in four of his last five games.

At the very least, the threat of Ekeler out of the backfield will potentially free up avenues to get the ball moving through the air.

San Francisco 49ers

Last week, the San Francisco 49ers enjoyed their bye week, which came at a great time for them. With Christian McCaffrey joining the team just a couple of weeks ago, extra time to get him integrated into the team’s offense could certainly come in handy for the 49ers.

But, the focal point of this game for San Francisco is likely to be its defense, which has been among the best in the NFL.

San Francisco ranks first in the NFL in total defense and in the top-10 in scoring defense. They have been especially effective on the defensive side of the ball in primetime games so far this year, holding the Broncos and Rams under 14 points already in those contests.

If they can do the same against a potent Chargers offense, it would be a nice statement going into the second half of the season.

Keys To The Game

For the Chargers, the biggest key to this game is going to be their defense. When playing a team like the Niners that can slow most opponents down, it is so important not to get into an early hole.

The pass rush of Los Angeles is going to have to find a way to get home, so as not to allow San Francisco to get out to an early lead and force the Chargers to be predictable offensively while making a comeback attempt.

On the San Francisco side, the key to this game will be their offensive creativity. Kyle Shanahan is so good at keeping opposing defenses off-balance, and will be able to do so with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel at his disposal. The odds favor the 49ers, and if he can scheme the Niners to easy movement of the ball, the Niners could cruise here at home.

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