With nothing to play for and the starters not going anywhere near the field, Thursday’s pre-season tilt between the host San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Chargers is all about roster battles. For the Chargers, the final exhibition game will likely pit Easton Stick against Cardale Jones in the battle for the third-string quarterback role, while it’s possible we could see 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan play wide receiver Dante Pettis in an effort to light a fire under him.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

You’re going to see plenty of lines exactly like this as the pre-season mercifully winds down, with oddsmakers giving San Francisco the standard three-point home-field bump in a game where literally anything can happen. For what it’s worth, the 49ers have been a bettor’s dream so far in the exhibition season, having covered each of their first three games. The Chargers, on the other hand, are just 4-9 ATS in their previous 13 pre-season contests.

With a total of 33, there’s going to be an awful lot of temptation for bettors to take the over. And given that 10 of the 16 games in the final week of the 2018 pre-season produced 35 or more points, there’s certainly precedent there. And while both Los Angeles and San Francisco have gone below the number in each of their previous three games this exhibition campaign, they blew past the total of 35 in the Chargers’ 23-21 win last Aug. 30 to wrap up the pre-season.

Los Angeles Chargers

There isn’t much else to keep an eye on from the Chargers’ standpoint other than the showdown between Stick and Jones, each of whom could see an entire half of action with one joining the 53-man roster and the other heading to the practice squad. And Stick – the winningest quarterback in FCS history – might have the upper hand going into Thursday’s pre-season finale after going 12-of-16 for 82 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.

San Francisco 49ers

Shanahan raised some eyebrows by declaring that Pettis “is still trying to earn a role on this team,” justifying Pettis’ presence on the field late in the 49ers’ Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Pettis has three catches for 36 yards on seven targets through three exhibition games – and if he’s inserted into Thursday’s lineup with a roster spot on the line, the second-year wideout – who had seven TDs as a rookie – could be well-positioned to light it up.