The 49ers are coming off their bye week with a chance to get healthy enough to resemble the team some considered a Super Bowl contender before the season. Optimism around the club is apparent in the point spread for their showdown against the 5-3 Chargers. Tipico Sportsbook has San Francisco favored by seven points at home Sunday night.
It’s not a huge surprise the spread has ballooned from a lookahead line near a field goal up to a touchdown. The 49ers have another week to get running back Christian McCaffrey acclimated and involved in their offense. They’ll also have wide receiver Deebo Samuel back, and they could have RB Elijah Mitchell back from an MCL sprain as well. All of this comes together in time to face a Chargers club that’s one of the worst run-stopping units in the league.
#Chargers head into Sunday's game against #49ers giving up 5.71 yards per carry, worst in the league and on pace to be worst of any team since at least 2000. They also just lost DL Austin Johnson for season. Johnson is No. 2 on team and No. 1 in run stop win rate among LAC's DL.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) November 8, 2022
This is the kind of game the 49ers could run away with if they generate a turnover or two and control the clock with a heavy dose of a run game that gets the ball into the hands of their best playmakers.
Meanwhile, the Chargers’ receiving corps is banged up and their run game hasn’t been particularly strong all year behind a beat up offensive line. A newly-healthy 49ers defense could have a big day to complement a good offensive showing.
When San Francisco plays complementary football, they’re very hard to beat, and they have a tendency to pull away and win by multiple scores.
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