Colin Kaepernick grabbed national headlines by refusing to stand for the national anthem in the first three preseason games for the San Francisco 49ers. He was taking a stand against police brutality and racial inequality, and has been simultaneously praised and criticized.
While there is plenty of focus on Kaepernick off the field, it will be interesting to see on it when his team faces the San Diego Chargers in Week 4 of the preseason. Blaine Gabbert seems to have won the starting quarterback job in San Francisco, so Kaepernick could play in the final contest of the exhibition slate.
This Week 4 preseason matchup will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2016, at 10 p.m. ET at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
49ers +3
Chargers -3
Over/Under 39.5
Odds Analysis
This is a pretty standard line, as the fourth preseason game is hard to predict with the vast majority of starters on both sides of the ball sitting out. The Chargers are at home so it seems like they are getting the natural three-point bump for that.
The gambling action is pretty even on both side of the spread, so the line seems good and the outcome looks like a toss-up. The over-under may look low but it’s pretty accurate for a final regular season game.
Quarterback Rotation
It will be interesting to see if Kaepernick plays. He has battled arm soreness which has kept him out of most of the preseason action and didn’t look good last game. There is also talk that the 49ers may cut him, and if that’s the case, there may not be a need for him to play.
Jeff Driskel could play a lot. He is 14-of-27 passing this preseason with 129 yards passing while adding some yards on the ground. Christian Ponder was a recent addition and he is 8-of-11 passing for 97 yards with a touchdown and interception on the preseason.
Mike Bercovici could get the start for the Chargers. The undrafted free agent out of Arizona State is 16-of-31 for 221 yards passing with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Bercovici is trying to beat out Zach Mettenberger for the third quarterback spot if the Chargers decide to keep three. Mettenberger is just 2-of-8 for 22 yards with an interception this preseason.
San Diego could decide to give them both reps if one isn’t cut before the game.
Coaching History
San Diego coach Mike McCoy, who is heading into his fourth season at the helm, has gone 6-9 in the preseason all-time. He has gone 2-2 in the last two preseasons and has the opportunity to finish .500 again this season, as the team sits 1-2 heading into the final game.
San Francisco coach Chip Kelly is 1-2 so far in his first three preseason games of the year. He went 7-5 in the preseason while with Philadelphia with his best preseason performance coming in 2015 when he finished 3-1.
Free ATS Pick
The 49ers have a lot of eyeballs on them right now, and it’s a weird spot to be in heading into the fourth regular season game. There will be more attention than normal since viewers want to see if Kaepernick will stand for the National Anthem.
That type of exposure could be a distraction for San Francisco. If Kaepernick plays, it will be an even bigger deal. This could be no ordinary preseason game if Kaepernick is involved.
Both teams will try to look past it, with the Chargers likely better equipped to do so and come away with the home victory.
NFL Odds: Chargers 24, 49ers 16
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