NFL Thursday Night: 49ers vs Chargers

Some people call it the East Coast bias. Teams on the left side of the country don’t seem to get as much hype as those situated on the right side.

You can blame the media or the lack of an NFL franchise in Los Angeles, but the real reason why football fans don’t give the time of day to Western clubs is because they’re simply not that good.

The fact that the San Francisco 49ers still have a shot at the playoffs is reason enough to forget about the West. The Niners are 5-8 (5-8 ATS) but only trail the St. Louis Rams, who top the NFC West, by one game.

In the NFL’s other conference, the San Diego Chargers have battled not-so-special teams and injuries, only to rebound from a 2-5 start to go 5-1 in their last six games and climb within a win of the Kansas City Chiefs, who led the AFC West with an 8-6 record. Only in that division could the Bolts fight their way back into the playoff picture.

These two teams collide Thursday night, hoping to gain ground in their topsy-turvy divisions. Oddsmakers at BetUS opened San Diego as a 9-point home favorite, with the spread inching closer to the key number of -10 as the week progressed.

That line move has a lot to do with bettors not buying into the Niners and quarterback Alex Smith, even though the inconsistent passer put up 255 yards passing and three touchdowns in last week’s 40-21 beating of the Seattle Seahawks – Smith’s return to the first-team offense.

Problems on the other side of the football are also a big reason why bettors are fading the 49ers, especially against Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. San Francisco could be without its two starting inside linebackers in Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes, who were in casts this week after suffering hand injuries versus Seattle. The short week doesn’t help the Niners’ cause in Week 15.

San Francisco’s pass defense is ranked 20th in the league and without Willis (five sacks) and/or Spikes (three interceptions) putting pressure on Rivers and snuffing out the running game, the Chargers may be able to open up the playbook Thursday night.

The Niners are just 2-4 ATS on the road this season and have lost their last two meetings with San Diego, failing to cover the spread in both games. The Chargers still need to prove they’re for real, but can expose San Francisco as a playoff pretender Thursday night.

Pick: San Diego -9.5 at BetUS