There is a reasonable argument that the San Francisco 49ers, who have split their first eight games, may right now be the best team in the National Football League.

This is a team that lost their opening game on the road to the Chicago Bears, and lost two more road games to the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons by mid-October. They trail the Seattle Seahawks in their NFC West Division race and are four games behind the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the National Football Conference.

With those credentials, how can we purport them to be the best team in football?

It is not so much where they’ve been, but where they are now and where they are going. The 49ers suffered a series of crippling injuries during the first few weeks of the season and now, off a bye week, are getting healthy. They also took a page out of the Los Angeles Rams playbook by mortgaging their future by trading draft choices to secure talent for this season.

They acquired Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers and in only his second game with the Niners he accomplished something no player had achieved since LaDainian Tomlinson did it 17 years ago, that is be responsible for three touchdowns by three different methods. Against the Los Angeles Rams before their Week Nine bye, McCaffrey threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in the 49ers 31-14 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champions.

McCaffrey adds a unique weapon to an already talented 49ers offense, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is skilled at utilizing offensive talent.

So, tonight when the 49ers host the Los Angeles Chargers should we lay the points and take the home team?

Not necessarily.

While I see the 49ers future bright as long as they stay healthy, it is difficult to lay more than a touchdown against a talented Chargers squad that, like the 49ers over the first half of the season, have underperformed.

The Chargers have Justin Herbert at quarterback, and he is a signal caller that most scouts marvel at but I note has never led his team to the playoffs. Now in his third season, Herbert was injured in second week action against the Kansas City Chiefs and was rushed back into the starting lineup a bit prematurely. That may be why he has not yet been special this year … good enough to have the Chargers in the AFC West Division race only one game back of the division leading Chiefs, but not so special that we can ticket Los Angeles for a trip to Super Bowl LVII.

The Chargers 5-3 mark is a notch below what their talent should dictate.

Which leaves us with this tonight. A highly probable win for the home standing 49ers, who are likely to come out of tonight’s game with a record equal with the Chargers at 5-4, but not with any certainty that they can cover the bloated point spread.

You can’t make a good pick out of a bad line.