by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 01, 2026
Game Time: 4:25 pm ET, Sunday, October 4, 2026
Venue: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Broncos +3, 49ers -3; Over/Under: 47.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Broncos +2.5, 49ers -2.5; Over/Under: 47.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Broncos +2.5, 49ers -2.5; Over/Under: 48 points
Season Record
Denver Broncos: 2-1 (3rd place, AFC West)
San Francisco 49ers: 3-0 (1st place, NFC West)
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Denver Broncos: won their last game at home against the Los Angeles Rams 30-26.
San Francisco 49ers: won their last game at home against the Arizona Cardinals 36-30.
Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers Preview and Analysis
The Broncos are entering this game with a 2-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their divisional games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against the Los Angeles Rams 30-26. Bo Nix was the starting QB and he completed 17/34 passes for 186 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. J.K. Dobbins led the team in rushing yards with 49. Courtland Sutton led the receivers with 46 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Brandon Jones led the defense in that game with 12 solo tackles while Talanoa Hufanga, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Eyioma Uwazurike each led the defense in sacks with 1. Talanoa Hufanga came away with 2 interceptions for them in that one.
The 49ers are entering this game with a 3-0 record overall and they have a 2-0 record in their divisional games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against the Arizona Cardinals 36-30. Brock Purdy was the starting QB and he completed 15/27 passes for 297 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Christian McCaffrey led the team in rushing yards with 75 and 1 TD. George Kittle led the receivers with 82 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 2 TDs. Fred Warner led the defense in that game with 17 solo tackles while Keion White and Ogbo Okoronkwo each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Broncos vs 49ers Prediction
The current betting odds have the 49ers listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The 49ers have looked great in their games this season with their 3-0 record overall which has them right at the top of the NFC West. They have looked great on their home field too with their 2-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Broncos have looked good in their games this season with their 2-1 record overall which has them right in the middle of the AFC West. They haven't been a good road team though with their 0-1 road record this year. The Broncos are coming off a 30-26 win over the Rams in their last one and they played their best game of the season, but they still fell behind early in that game and needed a signature late comeback to win the game. Bo Nix was his usual self, looking terrible for 3 quarters while the defense keeps them in the game long enough for Nix to awaken in the 4th, but that type of play isn't very sustainable. Now they go on the road, losing their only road game this year, and they have to play against one of the best teams in the NFL. The 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL for years now and even though they finished in 3rd place of the NFC West last season, they still had one of the best records in the entire NFL. Now they are one of the few undefeated teams left this season with their hot start to the year and they have looked like one of the best teams. They are coming off a 36-30 win over the Cardinals in their last one, but that score is a lot closer than the game actually was. They gave up a lot of points in garbage time last week, but the defense really hasn't given up much this season and the offense has also been rolling in all 3 games. The Broncos are a really up and down team with one of the best defenses in the NFL, but the 49ers are much steadier with the more reliable QB. The best way to place a bet here is on the 49ers to cover the spread in this game.
Broncos 49ers Prediction: Our NFL Pick for Sunday, October 4, 2026 (4:25 pm ET start time) is 49ers 30 Broncos 23.
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NFL Betting Trends
Denver Broncos: 9-2 ATS in non-conference games. 11-4 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 9-4 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 24 or more points/game. 8-3 OVER in non-conference games. 6-3 OVER after scoring 30 points or more last game.
San Francisco 49ers: 4-9 ATS in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 45.5. 3-9 ATS after scoring 30 points or more last game. 1-7 ATS after a win by 6 or less points. 23-15 OVER in all games. 9-3 OVER after playing a division game.
Key Injuries
Denver Broncos: J. Dobbins (RB) Injured - Hip. M. Mims Jr. (WR) Injured - Foot. J. Waddle (WR) Injured - Foot. Z. Allen (DL) Injured - Rest. D. Tillman (LB) Injured - Hamstring.
San Francisco 49ers: T. Williams (OT) Injured - Rest. C. McCaffrey (RB) Injured - Rest. M. Evans (WR) Injured - Ribs. D. Greenlaw (LB) Injured - Quadricep. K. Hodge (WR) Injured - Knee. N. Bosa (DL) Injured - Knee. K. White (DL) Injured - Hamstring. M. Williams (DL) Injured - Knee. R. Height (DL) Injured - Hand. J. Thompson Jr. (DL) Injured - Ankle.
Notable Quotes
"Obviously a gutsy win." - Sean Payton after his team’s win against the LA Rams in their last game.
“It’s the NFL, it sucks when your teammates go down, but that’s part of the game. As a quarterback, it’s also part of handling that and doing what I can, which is my job.” - Brock Purdy after their win against the Cardinals in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Denver Broncos
WR Sutton, Courtland
WR Waddle, Jaylen
WR Bryant, Pat
TE Engram, Evan
QB Nix, Bo
RB Dobbins, J.K.
San Francisco 49ers
WR Evans, Mike
WR Cowing, Jacob
WR Samuel Sr, Deebo
TE Kittle, George
QB Purdy, Brock
RB McCaffrey, Christian
FB Juszczyk, Kyle
Statistical Leaders
Denver Broncos
Passing: Bo Nix (605)
Rushing: J.K. Dobbins (121)
Receiving: Jaylen Waddle (150)
Touchdowns: Nate Adkins (2)
San Francisco 49ers
Passing: Brock Purdy (789)
Rushing: Christian McCaffrey (166)
Receiving: George Kittle (174)
Touchdowns: Christian McCaffrey (3)
Coaches:
Denver Broncos: Sean Payton (4th season)
San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan (10th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
