Aug 15-
- Get the 2023 NFC West odds for each team in the division
- The Rams open as favorites to win the division according to Caesars Sportsbook
- Check out our NFC West division preview and predictions for each team before the 2022 NFL season
Prior to 2021, the NFC West had been considered one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, but with Seattle taking a step back last season, that title no longer applies. Although, the talent on the three remaining teams is immense, with the Super Bowl Champion, Los Angeles Rams, leading the way. Shortly behind them are the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals who also made the playoffs last season. NFC West division predictions will be interesting as all three teams are listed at +105 or bettors to make the playoffs at Caesars Sportsbook.
A quick overview of this conference would tell you that the fight for the top seed will be a dogfight. The top three seeds from last season, Rams Niners, and Cardinals all made the playoffs. Let’s take a look at the NFC West division odds for the upcoming NFL season.
NFC West Division Odds
| Team | Win Total | Win Division | Win Conference | To Make Playoffs | Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 10.5 | +120 | +500 | -290 | +1200 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10.0 | +180 | +700 | -220 | +1600 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9.0 | +350 | +1400 | +105 | +3500 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6.0 | +1800 | +7000 | +425 | +15000 |
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook!
One interesting thing to note from these odds is that the reigning champion, Los Angeles Rams only have the fifth-best preseason Super Bowl Odds. While the San Francisco 49ers, who are expected to trot out Trey Lance at QB to start the season, have the seventh-best odds at +1600. The Cardinals sit on the cusp of the playoffs at +3500 tied with the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.
The Seattle Seahawks who finished last in the division this past season, are the favorites to do it again and have the third-worst odds of winning the Super Bowl. In this article, I will go through my NFC West predictions for every team, and highlight my favorite bet on them this season.
Los Angeles Rams Betting Outlook
The only thing more difficult than winning a title is doing it again. That’s the exact situation the Rams find themselves in after bringing home the Lombardi trophy last season. The Ram’s front office has done everything in its power to avoid any complacency or “Super Bowl hangover” that could come this season. Most of the key pieces from that roster return, but they lost some valuable starters. At receiver, they lost both Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr to free agency. They replaced them by signing Allen Robinson from the Bears who had 102 catches for 1,250 yards just two seasons ago. They also lost long-time LT, Andrew Whitworth to retirement, who has started in 235 NFL games.
On the defensive side of the ball, they lost cornerback Darious Williams to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. They also watched as star edge rusher Von Miller left to join the Bills in free agency. In response to these moves, they signed six-time All-Pro Bobby Wagner. Although, his coverage skills have taken a massive dip recently he is still an elite run stopper and will provide great leadership for this group. He has reportedly already taken second-year linebacker, Ernest Jones under his wing this offseason, and other players have taken notice.
3) Young LB Ernest Jones has taken off, and a big reason why is how he's attached himself to Bobby Wagner. Staff feels like it's really accelerated his development.
4) Yes, Aaron Donald gets his vet days. But when he's out there? Still the best player in camp.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 8, 2022
Considering the Rams didn’t lose all that much from their Super Bowl-winning roster it’s a surprise that they find their odds at a Super Bowl this long. They currently sit at the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, and the third-best odds to win the NFC, tied with the Green Bay Packers. The Ram’s offense has a chance to improve this season after adding former Pro Bowl receiver, Allen Robinson, to pair with triple-crown winner Cooper Kupp. The defense has some questionable starters at certain spots, but any defense headlined by Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Bobby Wagner I have faith in.
The NFC West is a gauntlet of a division, with three different teams who made the playoffs last season. The 49ers who the Rams ousted from the playoffs last season are no pushovers, but LA has a more established quarterback, a deeper group of skill position players, and a more star-studded defense. The Cardinals seem to live and die by Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray who always seem to fall off a cliff around midseason. The Rams have the most established QB, head coach, and defense in this division and I will pick that team ten times out of ten, especially when I can get it at plus-odds.
Pick: Los Angeles Rams to Win the NFC West (+120)
San Francisco 49ers Betting Outlook
After finishing last season 11-6 the Niners came within one win of a second Super Bowl appearance in the Kyle Shanahan era. Although, they ultimately fell in the NFC Championship to the eventual champion, Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco returns one of the best rosters and one of the best coaches in the league. They are loaded on both sides of the ball.
Starting with their offense who has two dynamic receivers in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The latter of that group had a breakout season last year combining for 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. They are one of the only teams in football who still use a full-back, but they have the best one in the NFL in Kyle Juszczyk. Tight end, George Kittle, has been banged up over the past few seasons but when he’s healthy he possesses the best combination of receiving and blocking ability in the NFL and even made the Pro Bowl last season. Their offensive line is headlined by left tackle, Trent Williams, who was a first-team All-Pro last season and has made the Pro Bowl for nine consecutive seasons.
The bulk of their defensive talent lies within the front seven. They have the best MLB in football with Fred Warner who has generational coverage abilities at 6″3 and 230 Lbs. Their d-line is the true strength of their team and is headlined by Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Javon Kinlaw. Nick Bosa in his third NFL season was fourth in the NFL in sacks (15.5) and tied for first in TFLs (21).
Their one major question mark is at quarterback, which is coincidentally the most important position on a football field. Jimmy Garoppolo led this team to the NFC Championship game last season but is not expected to start this year. That will be the 2021 top-three pick, Trey Lance, out of North Dakota State. Lance is very raw and has only started two NFL games in his career, where he averaged 220.5 passing yards and an 87.2 passer rating. He has all the tools to succeed this season and possesses immense talent with supreme arm strength and athleticism.
Expanding on my thoughts from yesterday – I just want to prepare 49ers fans for the reality that Lance will be a roller coaster this season.
Doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun one, but you *will* be frustrated by ball placement at times.
Just gotta get through these growing pains.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) August 11, 2022
The Niners’ season hinges on Trey Lance’s development in the offseason, and if he is ready to step up and be an above-average NFL starting QB. So does my favorite bet on the Niners at the moment. At Caesar’s Sportsbook, Deebo Samuel’s over/under receiving yards line is set at 949.5 yards which I think is criminally low. This comes on the heels of Samuel having 121 targets for 77 receptions and 1,405 receiving yards last season. Additionally, there were reports that Deebo had an issue with the RB usage he was seeing in the 49ers offense and wanted to go back to almost strictly being a receiver.
The move from Garrapolo to Lance lowers his floor for next season, but if Lance is even average he should be able to get the ball to Deebo enough for him to reach this mark. Deebo excels in yards after the catch and had 778 last season which was 2nd behind only Cooper Kupp. So if the 49ers decide to run more screenplays or short-yardage throws next season to generate confidence for Trey Lance, Deebo can still rack up the yards.
Pick: Deebo Samuel over 949.5 receiving yards (-115)
Arizona Cardinals Betting Outlook
The Cardinals appear to be in a tier of their own in this division. They are head-and-shoulders above the Seahawks, but their talent is not on the same level as the Rams or Niners. Their offense heavily relies on Kyler Murray to make plays out of structure and will lean on him even more after inking him to a five-year $230.5 million contract. Last season in 14 starts Murray put up 3,787 passing yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also added 423 yards and 5 TDs on the ground. Star receiver, Deandre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games of next season, but the Cardinals traded for speedster Marquise Brown on draft day. Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and A.J. Green will hold down the WR position until Hopkins is cleared to return from his suspension. Running back, James Conner was second in the NFL last season in rushing TDs (15), but he is aging I do not think he can repeat that.
Their defense is shaky in some spots but also has some very solid pieces. JJ Watt and Zach Allen lead the defensive line but both missed games last season due to injury. Isaiah Simmons will look to take a massive step forward at linebacker as a former top ___ pick who possesses rare linebacker and safety skills. He started all 17 games last season and had 1 interception, 7 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and 105 tackles. The secondary is the strongest unit on defense and is led by All-Pro safety, Budda Baker who has made three straight Pro Bowls. They also have former top draft picks Byron Murphy Jr and Jalen Thompson in the secondary. The reason many people are fading the Cardinals this season is because of head coach, Kliff Kingsbury. He has run into two straight tailspins down the stretch, and after starting the season 7-0, and eventually finishing 11-6 many fans were calling for Kingsbury’s head.
Upside + the flashes he showed last year + how the Cardinals are going to use him = Isaiah Simmons really lined up for a breakout season.
— Luke Lapinski (@LukeLapinski) August 4, 2022
The Cardinal’s over/under win total (9.0) and odds to make the playoffs (+105) are both pretty low for a team that had 11 victories last season, and has an MVP candidate at quarterback. The Deandre Hopkins suspension weighs very heavy on this team though, and they are in one of the toughest divisions of football. Kyler will have to carry this offense on his shoulders, but he is a certified Pro Bowler and MVP candidate. Additionally, he has improved his completion percentage, TD percentage, yards per attempt, and QB rating every season since entering the league. With the playoffs expanding to seven teams per conference last season, I don’t see any situation where the Cardinals find themselves out of the playoffs come January.
Pick: Arizona Cardinals to Make the Playoffs (+105)
Seattle Seahawks Betting Outlook
With the worst roster in this division, paired with the worst QB in this division, there’s not much positive I can say about the Seahawks entering next season. It’s time for a rebuild in Seattle, and that starts with the next quarterback in the post-Russell Wilson era. There is a QB competition ongoing in Seattle between newcomer Drew Lock and nine-year veteran Geno Smith. According to reporters at training camp at Pete Caroll himself, Geno Smith is leading this competition and every indication is that he will start week one. This is a guy who has not started a full season since 2013 and has a career 75.7 QB rating, so don’t expect big things from him despite having fantastic weapons on offense.
Speaking of those offensive weapons, the strength of this team is the receiving core, and more specifically DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. These guys combined for 148 receptions 2,142 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, and are two of the top receivers in the NFL. The RB room is also quite solid and will trot out a duo of Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker III. Penny took over the starting job in week 14 last year and went on to average 134.2 rushing yards on 7.29 yards per carry over the last five games of the season. Kenneth Walker was part of this loaded Seahawks draft class that also features top-10 OT, Charles Cross, and 3rd round OT, Abraham Lucas.
On defense, the Seahawks have tons of question marks after watching Bobby Wagner, D.J. Reed, and Carlos Dunlap walk away in the offseason. The defense will be very young next season, but there are a few bright spots. Two linebackers, Darrell Taylor and Jordyn Brooks should be in for big seasons. Taylor who’s going into his sophomore season had 6.5 sacks last season, and Brooks was second in tackles in the NFL last season with 184 combined. The supposed star of this defense is safety Jamal Adams who had made three straight All-Pro teams prior to last season where he only appeared in 12 games.
Pete Carroll says Geno Smith is still leading the Seahawks’ QB competition and will start in Saturday’s preseason opener at Pittsburgh. Carroll also praised Drew Lock for how well he played in last weekend’s mock game.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 9, 2022
Frankly, this Seahawks roster is just atrocious and I will be betting on them like such. Therefore, my bet on the Seahawks this season is under 6 wins which currently sits at -130 on Caesars Sportsbook. This roster lacks both top-end talent and depth across the board. Even worse, they find themselves in a division with three playoff teams from last season, and two teams who made the NFC championship game. Even last season with Russell Wilson for 14 games the Seahawks finished with a 7-10 record. So after seeing Russell Wilson, and many other Hawks leave in the offseason, I think only losing one more game next season is almost a definite.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks Under 6 Wins (-130)
