Chicago at San Francisco

This game is similar in a few ways to the Denver/Detroit game. We get a home underdog that has been horrible during the regular season for a while. They are not served well by losing a bunch of preseason games as that will only get them down and start the press and fans talking. Wins, even in the preseason, are cause for some celebration and they need cause in the Bay. They also start a QB who needs some reps. Alex Smith looked like a typical rookie QB during his seven starts last season. Like Kitna in Cleveland, Smith also has a new offensive coordinator who was fired as a head coach and who is known as an offensive mastermind. Norv Turner should be able to help Smith and they've already spent an entire offseason working together. When Smith goes out, San Francisco will turn to veteren Trent Dilfer. This is actually a step up right now and he should perform more like a starter than backup. Chicago also has an impressive backup in Brian Griese which tempers this pick a bit but nonetheless, I like the home dog here.