2014 nfl preseason preview and prediction – denver broncos vs san francisco 49ers | OSB
There will certainly be a lot to look for in this matchup between two of the best football teams in the NFL at the present moment, when Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos pay a visit to the brand new Levi’s Stadium on Sunday afternoon to face the San Francisco 49ers, for their second game of the 2014 NFL preseason. The Broncos are coming off a 21-16 win last week over the team that thrashed them in the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks, while Jim Harbaugh was once again on the losing side of the scoreboard against his brother John Harbaugh, with the 49ers losing 23-3 to the Baltimore Ravens.
These are the betting odds that have been posted on this 2014 NFL preseason game at BetAnySports, your home for the best NFL betting options:
Against the San Francisco 49ers, all eyes will be on the Broncos reshaped defense, particularly on a front-seven unit that was positively annihilated in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. In their first preseason game, the first string of players on the defense already showed some improvement, particularly rushing the passer, as they got to Russell Wilson a few times. The former Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end DeMarcus Ware seems to be back to his old self as he sacked the Seattle’s quarterback once in the short time he was on the field. The Broncos will definitely have to feel very confident for the coming season with a pass rush tandem made up of Von Miller, who is still recovering from a serious knee injury, and the seven-time Pro Bowler, Ware. And with the addition of Aqib Talib to their secondary, this is a much stronger defense than last year’s, but the question remains if that will be enough to put them in a position to win the Super Bowl.
In their first game of the 2014 NFL preseason, the 49ers suffered a heavy defeat against the same team that beat them in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Putting just three points on the board is terrible for a team with Super Bowl ambitions, even if this was just a preseason game, and it goes to show how their depth can affect the team’s performance during the season when injuries start to pile up. The main focus on this game against the Broncos will be on the backup quarterback competition between Josh Johnson and Blaine Gabbert. The former Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback, who is expected to be handled the backup role, put on a dreadful performance, completing just 3 of his 11 passes for 20 yards with one interception. Johnson, on the other hand, threw 6-for-8 for 63 yards with no interceptions and seems to have given his chances a slight boost.
The Broncos defense will have to step up and showcase what they’ve got once again, and they will be facing a 49ers offensive unit that struggled to move the sticks and put points on the board in their first preseason game. Expect the 49ers to continue to test their running game with Carlos Hyde, a player that looks ready to carry the load for the team during the season, and both defenses to get the best of the offenses in this one.
Our Prediction: Under 40
BetAnySports Odds: -110
