It’s official, Gardner Minshew is the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback, but he won’t be taking the field against the San Francisco 49ers. Will that deter our 49ers vs. Raiders predictions from backing the hosts?
Find out why my NFL picks are siding with Las Vegas on Friday, August 23.
49ers vs Raiders prediction
My best bet
Raiders +7.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Nobody is overly confident in a QB combo of Carter Bradley and Nathan Peterman, however, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t expected to play any of their key players either.
Winning by more than 7.5 points in a battle of backup players fighting to make the 53-man roster is a tall task, even for the defending NFC Champions.
It’s not as if San Francisco has been blowing out its opponents this preseason. With few important players taking the field, Kyle Shanahan’s team lost 17-13 to the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago. And they narrowly beat the New Orleans Saints 16-10 last week, despite Brock Purdy suiting up.
Even when Brock Purdy was on the field, the 49ers offense was discombobulated with backup receivers appearing to be in the wrong places - Purdy was visibly upset.
While backup Joshua Dobbs is experienced, and expected to start, he hasn’t been anything special this preseason. He’s 26-for-41 for 279 yards and an INT, and outside of rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing, there hasn’t been too much explosiveness from the 49ers offense.
San Francisco’s running back room is so banged up that undrafted rookie Cody Schrader started last week and averaged just 2.1 yards per carry. And he was backed by Matt Breida, who hasn't been a relevant player since 2019.
To expect that group to light up the scoreboard is more outlandish than Gardner Minshew’s lifestyle. The Las Vegas Raiders also have some quality young depth pieces on defense that will likely be trying to make a splash.
In the secondary, rookies Decameron Richardson and M.J. Devonshire have had moments, but it's the front seven that could make things interesting. Rookie linebacker Amari Gainer has been one of the pleasant surprises for Antonio Pierce’s squad. In front of him is a D-line rotation full of young talent like last year’s third-round pick Byron Young.
The defense should do enough to keep this game low-scoring, and Bradley was competent enough last week. He went 8-for-13 for 56 yards, and will likely be leaning on a run game led by rookie Dylan Laube.
Don’t expect fireworks from either side, but the Raiders should be able to keep it close.
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49ers vs Raiders odds
49ers vs Raiders live odds
49ers vs Raiders opening odds
- Spread: San Francisco +1.5 | Las Vegas -1.5
- Moneyline: San Francisco +107 | Las Vegas -125
- Over/Under: Over 38 | Under 38
49ers vs Raiders betting trend to know
The Raiders beat the 49ers 34-7 in the preseason last year. Find more NFL betting trends for 49ers vs. Raiders.
49ers vs Raiders game info
| Location: | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, NV |
| Date: | Friday, 8-23-2024 |
| Kickoff: | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NFL Network |
49ers vs Raiders weather
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