The San Francisco 49ers have been one of this year’s biggest online football betting disappointments. San Francisco finished the 2015 season with a 5-11 record. So it’s definitely true that fans didn’t have a tremendous amount of expectations for this year’s 49ers, but they also weren’t expecting them to perform as poorly as they have been. The 49ers showed early promise when they won their 2016 debut against their divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Rams. But since that game the 49ers have gone on to lose 5 straight. Now San Francisco finds themselves at 1-5, as well as in last place within the NFC West. It may be a little late for a turnaround, but the 49ers can still strive to improve on their 2015 record. In Week 7 San Francisco will be squaring off against a team of their caliper, the 2-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will most football betting sites side with San Francisco, or the Bucs?
Week 7 –Sunday, October 23rd
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2 (-111) 46 ½ (-105) -128
San Francisco 49ers +2 (-109) 46 ½ (-115) +108
The online football betting odds usually side with the team with the better record and this contest is no exception. Last weekend the 49ers tried to take a step in the right direction by starting Colin Kaepernick over Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert had won the starting job during the preseason, but after losing 4 straight games it’s hard to make a case for not making the switch. While some fans were hopeful that Kaepernick would find success with his return to the starting position, others wished the 6-year veteran misfortune due to the controversy regarding anthem protests, which was sparked by Kaepernick. The way the 49ers performed against the Bills this past weekend, it’s clear that those who sided with the latter got their wish.
Against Buffalo, whose pass defense ranks as the 14th worst in the NFL, the Kaepernick led 49ers were barely able to gain 187 yards passing. Kaepernick only completed 13/29 passes, and although he did throw a touchdown pass, Kaepernick would finish the day with a lowly 77.8 passer rating. In fact, Kaepernick enjoyed more success on the ground. On 8 carries, the dual-threat quarterback gained 66 yards, which nets an average of 8.3 yards per carry. But even with that ground success accounted for, the 49ers were only able to put up 16 points on the Bills. Kaepernick better hope for a better day offensively against the Bucs, or risk finding his place on the bench once more.
Thankfully for Kaepernick, the Bucs don’t have an elite defense. Tampa Bay’s total defense ranks 20th in the NFL, their pass defense ranks 19th, and their run defense is the 16th best unit in the league. It shouldn’t be too hard for the 49ers to move the ball, and they should enjoy moderate success both on the ground and through the air. The only question is whether San Francisco will be able to turn those yards into points. They failed to do so against the Bills, but you can’t compare the Bucs defense to a Rex Ryan lead squad. The online football betting odds think the Bucs will be too much for San Francisco, but some fans are hoping the 49ers will still be able to turn this ship around.
