Denver
Broncos
DEN
Last 5 ATS
W/L2-2
ATS2-2
O/U1-3-0
FINAL SCORE
14
-
24
San Francisco
49ers
SF
Last 5 ATS
W/L4-0
ATS3-1
O/U2-2-0
Last 5 ATS
2-2
Win /Loss
4-0
2-2
Spread
3-1
1-3-0
Over / Under
2-2-0
SPREAD
MONEYLINE
OVER/UNDER
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The 49ers elevated Stoll from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.
The 49ers activated Williams (knee) from the reserve/PUP list Saturday, and he no longer carries an injury designation into Sunday's NFC West tilt against the Seahawks.
Surtain (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Moss (ribs) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.
Thompson (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
Williams (knee) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
Stout (shoulder) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
Bosa (calf) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
The Broncos signed Humphrey off the practice squad to the active roster Friday.
Bryant (ankle) was placed on the Broncos' injured reserve Friday.
Prevailing sentiment is to take the Broncos with the points, but while Denver has been tested this season, it has been far less consistent. Mike Evans, Dre Greenlaw and Trent Williams have been cleared to play for San Francisco, and I give the 49ers the edge at quarterback, coach and certainly running back; they have the ability to control clock and dictate game flow, especially at home, as Denver struggles to stop the run. I’m grabbing the best line on the board before it goes back to 3. The Niners are not as prone to comebacks as prior opponents the Broncos faced.
The Denver Broncos have shown they can win even when they are not at their best. In both week two and week three they got off to slow starts against Jacksonville and the Rams. San Francisco as dominant as they have been to start the season, have not faced any second half adversity. Games were well in hand against the Rams, Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals last week. Look for Denver even being on the road to continue to showcase being a second half team.
If both teams came into this game with 100% health we're not making this bet. However injuries are part of the big storyline here and it's a 49ers defensive line that's depleted when being matched up with one of the league's better offensive lines. Denver was fortunate Sunday to get a win they didn't deserve vs the Rams so it's always interesting backing a team the next game but SF has feasted the last two weeks on bottom 3 defenses so they're artificially propped up metrically. I think the dog is live and if you can't get +3 (-20) than a +2.5 (even) is still a good bet
Somewhat mixed injury news for the Niners in that Trent Williams will play but Nick Bosa will not in this CBS game and possible Super Bowl preview. Denver has played with fire the past two weeks -- it has the worst first-half point differential in the NFL at minus-30 -- and spent a lot of energy in double-digit rallies. The Broncos rank bottom-three in rushing offense and rushing defense. That usually would point to 0-3 and not 2-1. Meanwhile, led by MVP candidate Brock Purdy the Niners have the highest touchdown rate (48% of drives) by any team through three games this century. Purdy has just one loss in his past 10 starts with crazy-good numbers. Just think if Brandon Aiyuk was around.
This is the third straight home game for San Francisco. That coupled with a 3-0 start, I believe is inflating this number a bit. Let's remember, they played the Rams in Australia after LA completely misjudged the travel strategy, they played Miami, and last week, the 49'ers beat Arizona but did not cover. Denver has played KC, JAX, and the Rams. This will be SF's most difficult test to date and they have a division game at Seattle on deck. Injuries continue to pile up at Wide Receiver and that makes it even more difficult against this Denver secondary. Getting the full 3 is important here and they are available at a reasonable price. I would not be surprised if the Broncos won outright.
I rarely bet RB receiving props but Christian McCaffrey is a rare exception as possesses exceptional versatility and pass catching ability while being a clear focal point of the game plan and passing attack. Mike Evans is banged up for a depleted group of pass catchers and this sets up as a nice matchup for him against a Broncos defense that loves to bring pressure. I also think Denver can push the Niners here. Lastly the Broncos have surrendered the 5th most yards to opposing RBs. Look for C-Mac to be heavily targeted in this matchup.
I'm going to buy low on Christian McCaffrey here. McCaffrey has 10, 10, and 15 carries in his first three games. However, the 49ers led by double digits in all of those games, so they didn't need to lean on McCaffrey. CMC grew up a huge Broncos fan because his dad played for the franchise, and this is his first time facing Denver. I think this sets up for a big McCaffrey game. The Broncos have struggled to stop the run early in the season, allowing 130 yards per game to running backs. Three backs have already exceeded this total against Denver. McCaffrey hasn't needed to be the offense's focal point yet, but I expect that to change on Sunday. Play up to 67.5.
San Francisco has major issues with injuries - let's blame the electrical substation once again. With Mike Evans likely out this week, the 49ers have George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and who else to catch passes? How about a guy who has 102 receptions for over 900 yards last year? Christian McCaffrey. Denver allows the third most receiving yards to running backs and CMC has caught four passes for 41+ yards each of the last two weeks. Expect another heavy workload through the air for the 49ers star RB.
We are only 3 games in but the Broncos have already established a pattern of sleeping through the first half and waking up later. They didnt wake up at all vs. KC but scored 14 points in the 4th quarter of both of their wins, and that was after scoring 16 in the 3rd vs. LA, helped by a Pick 6. If they fall asleep again on the road in Santa Clara, it's game over. San Francisco has played better an anyone, scoring a TD on 13 of 27 drives this season (48.1%), the highest rate through three games since 2000. They are only team that can claim they are top 5 in scoring offense and defense and will take care of the inconsistent Broncos.
The 49ers have scored touchdowns on a ridiculous 48.2 percent of their possessions. They have not allowed a sack. And only four of San Fran's offensive plays have gone for negative yards. But Brock Purdy and co. are about to get severely tested by the Broncos' defense. While there is optimism about Mike Evans (ribs) and left tackle Trent Williams (stinger) playing Sunday night, they might not be their normal dominant selves. Defensively, Dre Greenlaw is dealing with a quad injury while Nick Bosa and James Thompson Jr. remain out. I like the Broncos to keep this tight and possibly win outright.
The Broncos offense followed a familiar pattern on Sunday, seemingly relearning how to play football in the first half before rallying back for the win. I would typically love to fade a team like that the following week on the road, but this 49ers team is so decimated that I see catching 3 as a value for a playoff-caliber team with Denver. Nick Bosa's absence could be felt last week with the Cardinals moving the ball consistently, and the 49ers have a number of injuries on offense to worry about as well, including to Mike Evans and Trent Williams. If the Broncos are an above-average team -- and I think they are -- this line makes little sense with the 49ers so beat up.
