Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers Odds and Prediction

The Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) will head to San Francisco to take on the 49ers (4-4) for a primetime Sunday night matchup. The Chargers have battled injuries all season but came out victorious last week against the lowly Atlanta Falcons 20-17 in a game that spewed late fireworks.

With Los Angeles driving late in the fourth, running back Austin Ekeler fumbled with 34 seconds remaining in Falcons territory. Ekeler's fumble was recovered by Atlanta defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham, who also fumbled while returning the ball, leading to Chargers LT Matt Feiler falling on it.

Los Angeles QB Justin Herbert subsequently hit WR Josh Palmer for a 22-yard gain before Cameron Dicker nailed the game-ending field goal.

The 49ers had a Week 9 bye but beat up the Los Angeles Rams the week prior, 31-14. Star running back Christian McCaffrey, acquired via trade before Week 7, threw, caught, and rushed for a touchdown in the rout of their division foe. He is just the 11th player in NFL history to accomplish that feat.

Chargers vs. 49ers Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Over/Under	Moneyline
Los Angeles Chargers	+7	o44.5	+275
San Francisco 49ers	-7	u44.5	-350

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Tale of the Tape

The Los Angeles Chargers will look to continue their climb in the AFC West standings on Sunday. They will again be without the services of their star receivers, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. The former is out with an ankle injury while the ladder continues to struggle to come back from a lingering hamstring issue.

Franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, who has dealt with a rib injury of his own, continues to keep the Chargers' offense afloat, which ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards produced. He has thrown 13 touchdowns against eight picks. The run game has been ineffective but lead back Austin Ekeler has done his fair share in the passing game. He has 808 all-purpose yards and ten scores so far this season.

Even with veteran acquisitions in the offseason, the defense has once again struggled against the run. They ranked 29th in the NFL in yards per rush and have already surrendered nine rushing touchdowns. However, Los Angeles have faired better against the pass, with seven interceptions forced on the season.

With the NFC West somewhat up for grabs, the San Francisco Giants have done everything they can to hang around. They kept former starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster despite promoting the now-injured Trey Lance to the first team.

They just recently snatched up All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. The 49ers' offense has been mediocre this year, ranking near the middle in all offensive team statistics. However, with McCaffrey in the mix and star wideback Deebo Samuel returning, San Francisco quickly turn into a force on offense.

The defense remains elite, regardless of health. Defensive end Nick Bosa is having a career year, pacing 17 sacks on the season. Overall, the 49ers have the best defensive run game unit as far as yards per attempt are concerned. Unfortunately, the secondary has had its fair share of issues and will be without CB Jason Verrett on Sunday.

Chargers vs. 49ers Betting Prediction

The numbers suggest that Los Angeles will quickly become one-dimensional, relying on the arm of Justin Herbert. Usually, that's not bad, but the Los Angeles receiving corps is in shambles. Add the replenished 49ers offense into the mix against a poor Chargers run defense, and this could get ugly quickly.