The San Francisco 49ers are once again the favorites to win the NFC West in 2023. All four teams in the division have won the division within the last eight seasons, with the Rams winning it three times, the 49ers twice, Seattle twice, and the Cardinals once.
The Rams are the only NFL team within that time period to reach the Super Bowl, going 1-1 during those times. The last time an NFC West team was in the Super Bowl before that was in 2014 when Seattle fell to the Patriots.
Not just Favorites; Big Favorites
The San Francisco 49ers are the favorites in the division at -170 odds.
They are actually the biggest favorite of any NFC team to win their division. After the 49ers is the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll and his crew come into the season at +214 to win the division.
The Los Angeles Rams are next. They are just shy of 10/1 odds to win the NFC West at +960. Finally, the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona is the biggest underdog to win their division in all of the National Football League. The Cardinals are +2600.
NFC Favorites? That’s Philadelphia
When looking at the NFC, the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles are once again the favorites to win it.
Philadelphia is listed at +370, while the San Francisco 49ers are right behind them, coming in at +370. Next is the Dallas Cowboys at +600, followed by Detroit at +880.
From the NFC West – the Seattle Seahawks are fifth, at +1325. The rest of the NFC comes in at 14th – Los Angeles Rams at +3400, and 16th – the Arizona Cardinals at +8500.
Super Bowl Contenders?
Finally, when it comes to Super Bowl odds, they are not pretty for the division. Of course, San Francisco can hold their own at +920, but after that, it’s a mess.
The Seattle Seahawks are given a 32/1 chance to win the Super Bowl. Pay $100, win $3200 on the Seahawks. After that, the Los Angeles Rams are listed at +7000. For those of you scoring at home, that’s 70/1 odds. $100 to win $7000.
And the Arizona Cardinals, well, the Cardinals are basically told they have no chance. Their odds are +18000. That’s 180/1. A $1 bet wins you $180. A $10 bet wins you $1800. A $100 bet wins you $18,000. Go Cardinals!
2023 Win Totals for NFC West
When looking at win totals for the 2023 season, the NFC West stacks up like this:
- San Francisco 49ers 10.5
- Seattle Seahawks 9.5
- Los Angeles Rams 6.5
- Arizona Cardinals 4.5
Who are the Cardinals going to beat to get to 5 wins? Their 2023 schedule looks like this:
- @ Commanders
- w/ Giants
- w/ Cowboys
- @ 49ers
- w/ Bengals
- @ Rams
- @ Seahawks
- w/ Ravens
- @ Browns
- w/ Falcons
- @ Texans
- w/ Rams
- @ Steelers
- w/ 49ers
- @ Bears
- @ Eagles
- w/ Seahawks
Sorry to be a negative Nancy, but five wins? No way. Maybe, just MAYBE, three. They COULD beat the Texans on the road, the Rams at home, and maybe the Falcons at home. The rest? That is not going to happen. Arizona’s best-case scenario is going 3-14 in 2023.
Seattle Best Bet for the Over; Rams and Cardinals for the Under
The rest of the division, San Francisco, starts the season with back-to-back road games. They then should settle in with three straight home games. 10.5 seems about right. Staying away from betting on this win total seems like the right move, as this team would go 10-6 or 11-5 very easily.
The Seattle Seahawks are going to be talented. In fact, their betting odds at +214 to win the division and +1325 to win the NFC are worth putting a little extra change on. Seattle used Geno Smith for every single possession under center a season ago, and DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are back together and ready to rock and roll.
Seattle getting 9.5 is a good number, as looking at the schedule right now, I see nine games they are favored in. Things change in the league, for the better or for the worse. Putting money on the over 9.5 and looking at ten wins for Seattle isn’t a bad idea.
For the Rams – their 6.5-win total is also a mess. A lot of indifference here, but Cooper Kupp is the main story here. Are we going to see a healthy Kupp? If so, this team can go 7-10 and help over bettors ride into the sunset. But, if not, this team could easily go 4-13 and do the same to under bettors.
In the end, the NFC West is the San Francisco 49ers to lose. Whether they go back with Brock Purdy or they go with Trey Lance, guys like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Brandon Aiyuk make this a really dangerous team.
If you are in the desert and want to see some good football – the 49ers come to town in December; get your tickets now!
