What do you get when you pair an overrated head coach with a team that lacks talent? The answer is the San Francisco 49ers. Chip Kelly’s up-tempo style works when he has a quarterback to run the show, unfortunately for him, Blaine Gabbert isn’t that guy. So as we head into Week 6 of the NFL season, the Niners are contemplating a change at the spot, but even that is unlikely to change the fortunes of the team when it battles the Buffalo Bills.
This contest in Week 6 of the regular season will go down Sunday, October 16, at 1 p.m. ET at New Era Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
San Francisco 49ers +7.5
Buffalo Bills -7.5
Over/Under 44.5
Odds Analysis
Even though the Niners haven’t officially named a quarterback for this contest, oddsmakers pegged them as 7.5-point dogs anyway. San Francisco hasn’t instilled much confidence in its backers, either. The Niners have lost four straight and failed to cover each time, despite getting double-figures twice in that stretch. Both of those came in blow out road losses to Seattle and Carolina.
Injury Report
NaVorro Bowman – The Niners lost their defensive leader to an Achilles injury and the group struggled without him last week. San Francisco’s run defense in particular was an issue, surrendering 157 yards to David Johnson.
Sammy Watkins – With Watkins sidelined for a few more weeks with a foot injury, the Bills lack the big play in the passing game and it’s been noticeable. Thankfully for the Bills, the running game has taken over during their winning streak and the big play hasn’t been needed. But when it is, and that time will come, the Bills are shorthanded.
Matchup to Watch
Without Bowman, DeForest Buckner and Glenn Dorsey, the 49ers offered little resistance to David Johnson and the Cardinals last Thursday. What’s more sad is that the Niners knew what was coming and they were still powerless to stop it. Arizona played without Carson Palmer and a heavy dose of the run game was expected. It came, to the tune of Johnson scampering for 157 yards on 27 carries. San Francisco has allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of the past four games and ranks near the bottom of the league surrendering nearly 150 yards per game on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry.
And that plays right into the Bills offensive strategy. Buffalo led the NFL in rushing last season and they are at it again in 2016. In three games under new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, the Bills are averaging 178 yards per game on the ground, a drastic improvement over the 75.5 yards they averaged under former coordinator Greg Roman. And by the way, the Bills haven’t lost in those three games. They managed 193 yards on the ground against Los Angeles with LeSean McCoy accounting for 150 of those.
Free ATS Pick
The Niners are searching for answers and one move Kelly can make is inserting Colin Kaepernick into the starting spot. While Kaepernick has the skill set to run Kelly’s no-huddle offense and seems like a likely fit, there’s a reason why he hasn’t been in there through the first five games. With injuries and teams adjusting to his style of play, Kaep’s effectiveness eroded and, remember, he started a majority of games last season when the Niners were the worst offensive team in the NFL. So, it’s doubtful a change will have a major effect on the team.
Following the change in offensive coordinators, the Bills running game has reemerged and that will pose a problem for the Niners, who have been unable to stop the ground game lately. A rash of injuries to defenders has crippled San Francisco and they were unable to stop the Cardinals last week, despite knowing what was coming. The Bills will seize control on the ground and the Niners will again struggle offensively. That makes Buffalo a good choice against the line.
NFL Odds: Bills 27, 49ers 17
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!
