San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers

Betting Odds

Point Spread: San Diego Chargers(-9)
Game Total Line: (44.5)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

San Diego (7-6, 7-6 ATS) crushed the Chiefs 31-0 last week, giving the team five wins in its past six outings. More importantly, the Chargers have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games.

A surprising 28-13 loss to Oakland in Week 13 notwithstanding, the Chargers offense is on fire. In the past five wins, San Diego is cranking out 32.8 points per game. It's even more remarkable considering No. 1 weapon Antonio Gates remains injured. Gates was a surprising late scratch from the lineup; this week, he hinted he might be shutdown for the season. Malcolm Floyd stepped up in his absence, catching a pair of touchdowns from Philip Rivers.

The defense was dominant, though it lucked out into facing Brodie Croyle at quarterback. The Chargers held Kansas City's brilliant running game to just 48 yards. That's a huge improvement after getting ravaged by Oakland a week before but, with Croyle proving to be a non-threat, it was easy to stack the line and dare the Chiefs to throw the ball.

San Francisco (5-8, 6-7 ATS) kept its hopes alive in the pathetic NFC West with a 40-21 drubbing over Seattle last week. The Niners can't seem to build any momentum, though. They've rotated between wins and losses in five straight games, going 2-3 ATS in that span.

Alex Smith got the start for San Fran and was unusually competent. The quarterback completed 17 of his 27 pass attempts for 255 yards and three scores. Better yet, he helped lead the Niners to a turnover-free day. That's crucial, especially with Frank Gore done for the season. San Fran can't afford any big mistakes, as Smith and Co. aren't good enough to bring San Francisco from behind. Brian Westbrook is doing a nice job in Gore's stead, particularly catching passes out of the backfield. The former Eagle caught six passes for 87 yards last Sunday, including a 62-yard touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, San Francisco was superb against Seattle. The 49ers racked up five takeaways, including four interceptions off of Matt Hasselbeck. Consistency is the biggest issue at hand for the Niners "D," although it's often offensive mistakes that lead to points allowed on this squad.

San Francisco and San Diego have met four times since 1997, with the last meeting coming in 2006. They split those games, though the Chargers have a 3-1 edge against the spread. San Fran has gone over in its last two games played; the Chargers have gone under in their last two games played. BetED.com has set the total for Thursday's match up at 44.5 points.

Point Spread Pick

Take the Chargers -9 at 5Dimes on game day for reduced juice betting!