San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Betting Preview

While this is the first full week of NFL games in the preseason, it’s technically Week 2, as the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets kicked things off on August 3 in Canton, Ohio. Closing out this second week, we have the 49ers and Raiders, who play on August 13. Below, we’ll preview each team so you have all of the necessary information before placing a wager at any of the major sports betting sites in the United States.

The offseason talk for the 49ers has been their bevy of quarterbacks, including Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, Sam Darnold, and even Brandon Allen. Of course, the first three listed here are the most important, but there are question marks in this room heading into the regular season.

It’s unlikely we’ll see a lot of Purdy and Lance during the preseason as they continue to recover. Still, Darnold will receive plenty of playing time, it seems.

According to Pro Football Talk, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is excited to see him play.  
“I think Sam’s gotten better each practice,” Shanahan said in his press conference. “It’s his first time in this offense, and I’ve been encouraged with just how he spits the plays out, how he can call them, where he is now compared to the first couple of days.

“He doesn’t seem like it’s his first time going through it, so he’s getting better each week, getting more comfortable, and I’m excited to see him in some of these games.”

Darnold has plenty of experience in the NFL, having previously played for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.  

The 49ers offense is built in a way that gives a certain level of success. Considering the state of this quarterback room, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for them to provide Darnold with some run with the playbook to prepare him, just in case.  

Right now, the 49ers are 3.5-point favorites at BetMGM Sportsbook.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Raiders are dealing with an injury to wide receiver Davante Adams. It appears to be a minor injury, but this is another reason to hold him out of this preseason game.

Behind Jimmy Garoppolo are quarterbacks like Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell, and Chase Garbers.

The Raiders starters aren’t that appealing, so you can expect the backups to be even less inspiring. We hope to see some of edge rusher Tyree Wilson and tight end Michael Mayer, but other than that, we can’t get too excited about this team, preseason or not.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Raiders are 4-point underdogs.