49ers vs. Broncos Prediction and Preview, Plus a $1,250 Promo Code
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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Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.