Sunday Night Football is quietly serving up a pivotal matchup in Week 3 when the injury-plagued 49ers visit the curiously-coached Broncos.

Both teams entered the 2022 NFL season with high expectations, but both have delivered mixed results across their first two games. Neither will want to fall to 1-2 and face uphill battles in their respective divisional standings.

Below we’ll share our 49ers vs. Broncos prediction and betting preview, plus serve up a fantastic promotion with Caesars Sportsbook where you can receive a bonus bet worth up to $1,250 if your first wager loses. 

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49ers vs. Broncos odds and latest lines at Caesars

Here are the odds and latest lines for San Francisco vs. Denver courtesy at Caesars Sportsbook:

  • Spread:
    • San Francisco: -1.5 (-110) 
    • Denver: +1.5 (-110)
  • Money line:
    • San Francisco (-125)
    • Denver: (+105)
  • Total:
    • Over 44 (-110)
    • Under 44 (-110)

Oddsmakers see a very even matchup and set the game total (over/under) at a modest 44 points - which might still be too high. At a glance, this projects to be a low-scoring affair. 

 


49ers vs. Broncos predictions and betting preview

Apologies for the cliche, but we have to say it. This game will be won in the trenches. Both teams will lean heavily on their ground attacks and trust their elite defensive units to be a deciding difference.

San Fancisco’s defense will arrive in Denver allowing the fewest yards per game (210.0 ypg)  and third-lowest points per game (13.0 ppg) in the NFL. On the other side of the field, the Broncos have seen their two, key defensive offseason acquisitions - linebackers Randy Gregory and Alex Singleton - make immediate impacts. As a unit, Denver’s defense has surrendered the third-fewest yards per game (243.5 ypg) and coincidentally is tied with the 49ers for the third-fewest points allowed at 13.0 ppg.

From an offensive standpoint, the 49ers lead the league in rushing attempts with 82 through two games. They are a pace-down team and will feed the ball to RB Jeff Wilson Jr. and WR Deebo Samuel. Both should be in-line for even heavier workloads now that #2 RB Tyrion Davis-Price has been declared out with an ankle injury.

 


49ers All-Pro TE George Kittle will make his 2022 debut and provide QB Jimmy Garoppolo with an additional (and much-needed) playmaker. In 2021, Kittle saw a 24.9% target share, which was the second-most league-wide among tight ends. If the Broncos defense has an achilles heel, it’s the tight end position. They’ve allowed the fifth-most receptions, seventh-most receiving yards and second-most touchdowns. 

Speaking of achilles heels, the Broncos are the clear front-runners for “2022 Worst Coached Team in the NFL.” Consider that:

  • As a team, Denver was flagged for 12 penalties and 106 yards in Week 1 at Seattle. In Week 2, they gave up 13 penalties for another 100 yards - this time at home.
  • Four (4!) of these 25 total penalties were of the delay of game variety.
  • Against the Seahawks, QB Russel Wilson was thought to be tipping Denver’s play calls by using certain hand signals. 
  • The Broncos followed up their Week 1, 40-second-run-off, 64-yard field goal farce by taking too long to decide whether or not to kick a 53-yard field goal last week against the Texans. Denver ultimately took a 5-yard delay of game penalty. But instead of then trying a 58-yard FG, they chose to punt.
  • Rookie punt returner Montrell Washington did not take the field to return a Texans punt. The Broncos then had to burn a timeout.

Is this hard-hitting statistical evidence? No. Is this related to our best bet below? Also no. But this is such an extraordinary amount of intangible ineptitude that you’d be crazy to not factor it into your pre-game betting analysis.

 

RB Javonte Williams has been Denver’s one, obvious offensive bright spot thus far in the 2022 campaign. He has averaged 17 touches and 96.5 total offensive yards per game. These are extraordinarily efficient numbers. His usage is picking up, too.

Denver entered the season with an evenly split backfield between Williams and Melvin Gordon III. However, in Week 2, Williams saw more snaps (65% vs. 58%), carries (15 vs. 10) and targets (4 vs. 1) than Gordon. If this snap% holds, Williams should receive a few extra dump-off passes as Wilson checks down against the daunting 49ers defense.


49ers vs. Broncos best bets at Caesars Sportsbook

Our San Francisco vs. Denver prediction calls for a run-heavy, low-scoring affair that likely will get messy at times. Given the matchups shared above, we’re considering the following as our best bets for Sunday Night Football at Caesars Sportsbook:

  • San Francisco -1.5 (-110)
  • George Kittle over 42.5 receiving yards (-117)
  • Javonte Williams over 3.5 receptions (+126)
  • Javonte Williams anytime touchdown scorer (+140)
 

 

 


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