There's no doubting the fact that the San Francisco 49ers have one of the worst and most dysfunctional teams in the NFL. They're easy to bet against in just about any situation, but sharp bettors using live betting might take note of them on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants in Week 5.
WHEN THE NEW YORK GIANTS HAVE THE BALL
The Giants don't exactly have the most fluid offense in the world right now. They've won a couple games in a row and probably have the best team in the NFC East, but that doesn't mask the problems this ground game has had. Both Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams are averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry, and though Eli Manning has used all of his backs effectively in the short passing game, there's no substitute for a strong power running game.
The 49ers proved last week that they can at least somewhat tame a team which is one-dimensional. The Packers really didn't get a lot out of Eddie Lacy, and Aaron Rodgers was forced to throw the ball short more often than not. Granted, Rodgers doesn't have Odell Beckham Jr. to throw the ball to like Manning does, but holding that Green Bay team to just 17 points is no small task.
So yes, for as bad as the 49ers have been defensively, they could be effective in live betting. We know that Beckham is going to make some plays, but there isn't anyone else on this offense who scares us. At some point, turnovers are going to start to rack up against a New York team which was prone to errors in seasons' past with Eli at the helm, and you can't convince us that all of a sudden, this has become a team which won't turn the rock over after just a four-game sample set.
Even if Beckham does burn you for a big score, the Niners are still probably a decent play in live betting, knowing that a Manning mistake feels like it could happen at any point.
WHEN THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS HAVE THE BALL
This is where the Niners have real problems. Everyone is upset right now. Jim Tomsula is in over his head coaching an offense. Colin Kaepernick is taking far too long to diagnose reads and coverage schemes and is getting sacked or is being forced to run because of it. Anquan Boldin is furious that he only has 15 catches in four games and just one touchdown.
Needless to say, it's just not pretty.
What we hate about betting on the 49ers in straight betting is the fact that Tomsula just seems content to continue to run the ball even when his team is behind. However, that can really play into our hands when it comes to end of game situations for live betting. The Niners don't know how to run a no-huddle, up-tempo offense, and the end result is a running clock which promotes fewer possessions. That could play into our hands if San Fran is an underdog in live betting against the current score.
TREND TO TRACK
Fourth quarters really haven't treated the 49ers badly this year. They have only been outscored in two of their four games, and never by more than seven points. The Niners have scored the final touchdown in two of their four games, and they haven't allowed a single score in the final five minutes of a game this year.
That stat more or less plays into our hands when we talk about that ground game Tomsula still likes to promote. If the 49ers are going to continue to run the ball or use the short passing game in what would be obvious passing situations for most other teams, they're going to cover a lot of games in the final five minutes or so of live betting.
The NFL odds for this Sunday contest were first released by BookMaker, and the New York Giants were positioned as 7-point favorites with a total of 43. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers is set for Sunday, October 11, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on NBC.
