NFL Betting – NFC West Odds and Preview 2020

• San Francisco 49ers favored to win their division but with value at near EVEN odds

• Seahawks pay out $225 for every $100 bet

• Rams pay $475 for every $100 bet

• Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus with a maximum of $1000

The San Francisco 49ers appear to be the class of the NFC West after winning 13 games and reaching the Super Bowl last season, putting them as a negative odds favorite to win the title. Things can change in a hurry, though, just ask the Los Angeles Rams about that. If you recall the Rams went from the Super Bowl two years ago to out of the playoff picture last year. Oddsmakers have the Seattle Seahawks pegged as the closest competition to the Niners. The two battled to the final weekend to determine last season’s division winner and we’ll probably have more of the same since it doesn’t look like the Seahawks are giving anything away.

Odds to Win 2020 NFC West

San Francisco 49ers -104
Seattle Seahawks +225
Los Angeles Rams +475
Arizona Cardinals +825

NFC West Preview

Kyle Shanahan hasn’t had a lot of luck in Super Bowls. A few years ago the Falcons famously squandered a 25-point lead and lost in overtime. Last season his Niners blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead and fell to the Chiefs. At least he got there. First as OC in Atlanta then taking a 4-win San Fran team and leading them to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Behind a powerful ground attack and a ferocious defense, the Niners elevated themselves to the best in the West matching two other teams for the most wins in the conference.

The key now is to sustain that success, which is going to be more difficult now that they have a target on their chest. A big reason why the Niners went from four wins in 2018 to 13 last year is Jimmy Garoppolo. He was injured early in the 2018 season leaving C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens to pick up the pieces. That didn’t work. It was the perfect storm for the Niners – getting a high draft slot and Garoppolo back. Their second pick in 2019 was Deebo Samuel, who turned into a game-breaker on offense.

The Niners scored almost 30 points a game and had the fourth-best offense at 381.1 total yards per game. They were solid through the air but relied heavily on the run, which produced 144.1 yards per game. Jerick McKinnon has progressed from knee problems that cost him the last two seasons. He was a big signing when Shanahan took the job and he’s yet to play a regular season game. The first pick in 2019 was Nick Bosa, who helped solidify the defense. The Niners allowed just 19.4 points and 281.8 yards per game and return many of the players responsible for those low numbers.

The Seahawks averaged 10 wins over the last three seasons but didn’t win a division title. They will again be lurking near the top of the standings because of Russell Wilson. Seattle had a top-10 offense finishing eighth in yards and ninth in points per game. Wilson threw for 4,110 yards with 31 TDs and just five picks. The Seahawks have always been good running the football and will showcase Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, along with Wilson, once again.

There were some issues defensively with the Seahawks, who are long removed from the Legion of Boom days. They were among the worst in the NFL surrendering 386.1 yards and 25 points per game. Likely without Jadeveon Clowney, the Seahawks did lure Bruce Irvin back while adding Jordyn Brooks and Darrell Taylor in the draft to strengthen the front seven.

Few pundits are talking about the Rams’ chances. Two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance, it was a dreadful offseason in LA with the departure of numerous key performers due to cap restrictions. And the team didn’t do much to fill the gaps. If Sean McVay is the genius many claim that he is we’ll find out in 2020.

Jared Goff had decent numbers last year because the Rams had to throw the football. His 626 attempts were the most in the league amassing 4,638 yards and 22 TDs. However, his completion percentage was down and he tossed 16 interceptions. Top pick Cam Akers fills a void left by Todd Gurley in the backfield and the receiving corps is solid even though Brandin Cooks departed. Aaron Donald anchors a defense that was average last season and must break in new players at a several positions along with new coordinator Brandon Staley.

The Cardinals are not going to win the division, but they are a team with an upward trajectory. Their offseason moves proved a point that they are ready to be relevant following four straight non-winning seasons. The biggest move was acquiring DeAndre Hopkins to team with Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk for a more explosive pass attack. The beneficiary is Kyler Murray, who should continue developing under Kliff Kingsbury. Throw in a nice draft and the Cards will surprise a lot of people.

2020 NFC West Pick

The Niners are the strongest team in what should be a competitive division. Seattle has Wilson and played two tight games against SF last season, falling a yard short of winning the NFC West in the finale. The Seahawks should have an improved defense and that’s what gets them to the top in 2020.

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com