49ers vs. Chargers prediction: NFL preseason picks, best bets Thursday

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Key points

• THE PLAY: Under 38.5 total points (-110, BetMGM) Trey Lance player props (live bet).
• Coach Jim Harbaugh expects Justin Herbert to play for a bit in the first quarter, though Los Angeles is without its starting center, Tyler Biadasz.
• Trey Lance will take over for Herbert at some point as he competes for the backup gig in Los Angeles with former Florida State standout DJ Uiagalelei.
• Under 38.5 total points comes in at -110 on BetMGM, and that's my pregame play for this game.
• It could be a Lance revenge game after he fizzled out in San Francisco after being selected No.

Who doesn't want to gamble on a little late-night preseason NFL action?

Two teams that have been nailed by injuries throughout training camp are set to match up on Thursday night as the Chargers face the 49ers in another one of those coin-flip NFL matchups in a meaningless game.

As the 49ers are struggling to keep their guys on the field, and it's unclear who will play on Thursday night, san Francisco has been smashed by injuries early on.

Coach Kyle Shanahan remarked there's a "good chance" that Brock Purdy will secure some action in the second preseason game of the year, the last real dress rehearsal for the season.

Meanwhile, coach Jim Harbaugh expects Justin Herbert to play for a bit in the first quarter, though Los Angeles is without its starting center, Tyler Biadasz. This person tore his ACL this week.

It could be a Lance revenge game after he fizzled out in San Francisco after being selected No. 3 overall as one of the worst draft picks in NFL history.

As playing time for most of the guys is up in the air, there are almost no props available for this game at the time of writing.

Given the sheer number of injuries on both sides, I am targeting the under in Thursday night's contest.

In practice, the 49ers scored 13 points on Thursday, and with starters actually playing in this one, I suspect both teams will handle their players with kid gloves even more than normal.

Feel free to target Lance's props live once those props are published by oddsmakers.

THE PLAY: Under 38.5 total points (-110, BetMGM) Trey Lance player props (live bet). Why Trust New York Post Betting.

Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.

Taken together, the developments around 49ers vs. Chargers prediction: NFL preseason picks, best bets Thursday point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.