NFC West Division Odds
| Market | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks | LA Rams | Arizona Cardinals |
| Win Total | 10.5 (o -145 / u +125) | 9.5 (o +125 / u -155) | 6.5 (o -105 / u -115) | 4.5 (o EV / u -120) |
| Make Playoffs | -450 | -120 | +310 | +1100 |
| Miss Playoffs | +360 | EV (+100) | -380 | -2000 |
| NFC West | -160 | +195 | +1000 | +2500 |
| NFC | +400 | +1300 | +4500 | +10000 |
| Super Bowl | +1000 | +3000 | +6500 | +20000 |
Odds Courtesy of DraftKings as of Friday, July 28
San Francisco 49ers
Overview
The 49ers have been one of the better teams in the NFL over the past couple of seasons, and oddsmakers believe the 49ers are in store for another good year. With that being said, who exactly is going to be under center for San Francisco? Sam Darnold is the most likely choice, and while he has the draft pedigree, he certainly does not have a great track record to start his NFL career. Still, the 49ers boast a great coach, electric skill players and a top-tier defense, so they can never be counted out. However, how good will the Niners be without a stable QB?
Key Additions & Departures
Coaching Changes:
- Hired Steve Wilks to be the defensive coordinator.
Key Additions/Re-signings:
- Drafted S Ji’Ayir Brown, K Jake Moody, TE Cameron Latu, CB Darrell Luter Jr., DE Robert Beal, LB Dee Winters, TE Brayden Willis, WR Ronnie Bell, LB Jalen Graham.
- Signed C Jon Feliciano to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.
- Signed QB Sam Darnold to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
- Signed DE Clelin Ferrell to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
- Signed DT Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million contract.
Key Departures:
- Lost QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
- Lost RT Mike McGlinchey.
- Lost DBs Jimmy Ward & Emmanuel Moseley.
- Lost DLs Hassan Ridgeway, Charles Omenihu, & Samson Ebukam.
2023 Outlook
The 49ers lost their defensive coordinator, but they made a fantastic hire to replace him. The 49ers’ strength is their defensive line, so what did they do in the offseason? They kept on adding to it. Considering the NFC West is a weak division, and the NFC, in general, is a weak conference, it is very easy to see why expectations remain high in the Bay Area. The 49ers just need consistent QB play, and they will be in the thick of the NFC playoff race all season long.
The Niners open their season in Pittsburgh, and then they go to LA for the Rams before returning home to face the Giants, Cardinals, and Cowboys. Then they head to Cleveland and Minnesota before going home to play the Bengals before their bye. After the bye, they go to Jacksonville, come home for Tampa, go to Seattle, go to Arizona, host the Ravens, go to Washington, then end the season at home against the Rams.
If Sam Darnold, or whoever starts under center for San Francisco, proves they can make easy throws and not turn the ball over, the 49ers are a threat. This team has talent on all levels of the field, so they should continue to be as dominant as they have been in the recent past.
Seattle Seahawks
Overview
A year removed from a Cinderella season, oddsmakers are still not too high on the Seahawks. The NFC is wide open, and they improved their team this offseason, so we are not sure why Seattle is not getting more love. With that being said, Geno Smith still needs to prove that last season was not a fluke. We don’t think it was, but it is certainly fair to wonder how good he is and how far he can take Seattle.
Key Additions & Departures
Coaching Changes:
- Seattle did not make any notable changes to its coaching staff.
Key Additions/Re-signings:
- Drafted CB Devon Witherspoon, WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba, DE Derick Hall, RB Zach Charbonnet, OL Anthony Bradford, DL Cameron Young, DE Mike Morris, C Olusegun Oluwatimi, S Jerrick Reed, & RB Kenny McIntosh.
- Signed DT Jarran Reed to a two-year, $10.8 million contract.
- Signed LB Bobby Wagner to a one-year, $7 million contract.
- Signed QB Drew Lock to a one-year, $4 million contract.
- Signed DE Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year, $51.5 million contract.
- Signed DB Julian Love to a two-year, $12 million contract.
- Signed QB Geno Smith to a three-year, $105 million contract extension.
Key Departures:
- Lost Gs Austin Blythe and Gabe Jackson.
- Lost DTs Al Woods and Poona Ford.
- Lost RB Rashad Penny.
2023 Outlook
The Seahawks had two picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, they made a few big key free-agent signings and most of their major contributors last season were young players. That sounds like a recipe for success. Add in the fact that Pete Caroll is one of the best coaches in the NFL, the NFC is wide open, and this looks like a playoff team once again this season.
Seattle opens its season at home against the Rams, then they head to Detroit, come home for the Panthers, then head to the Giants before their bye. After the bye, they go to Cincinnati and come home for the Cardinals and Browns before going to Baltimore. Then they host the Commanders, go to play the Rams, host the Niners, go to Dallas, go to the 49ers, come home for the Eagles, then head to Tennessee. They end their season at home against the Steelers then in Arizona.
The Seahawks have the makings of a playoff team, but the betting market is still questioning whether they can repeat that same success from last year. If Geno Smith picks up where he left off last season and their rookies/free agent signings prove their worth, this should be a good football team.
Los Angeles Rams
Overview
The Rams are one of the more interesting teams in football heading into the 2023-24 season. We know they have a great coach, a top-15 QB, a great WR and one of the best defensive players of all time, but what else do they have? Lots and lots of rookies. This will certainly be Sean McVay’s biggest challenge as an NFL head coach. He is used to having talent, but this season, the Rams are going to have to succeed with a roster of young, hungry players without much pedigree. The market is low on them, and it makes sense why, but can this team be one of the shocker teams this season? It is not out of the question.
Key Additions & Departures
Coaching Changes:
- Hired Mike LeFleur to be the offensive coordinator.
Key Additions/Re-signings:
- Drafted G Steve Avila, DE Byron Young, DT Kobie Turner, QB Stetson Bennett, DE Nick Hampton, OT Warren McClendon, TE Davis Allen, WR Puka Nacua, CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, DE Ochaun Mathis, RB Zach Evans, P Ethan Evans, S Jason Taylor, & DE Desjuan Johnson.
Key Departures:
- Lost LB Bobby Wagner.
- Lost WR Allen Robinson.
2023 Outlook
The Rams got themselves in salary cap hell over the prior few years, but they won a Super Bowl so it was a fair trade-off. Now, two years removed from that win, the Rams’ roster is full of young players with minimal pedigree. What are the Rams going to do? They can try to continue to unload the massive contracts they have, or they can try to win with the team they have now. Time will tell, but the Rams are in a very odd place at the moment.
The Rams start their season in Seattle, and then they host the 49ers before going to Cincy and Indy. They return home for the Eagles, Cardinals, and Steelers before going on the road to play the Cowboys and Packers before their bye. After the bye, they host Seattle, go to Arizona, hose the Browns, go to Baltimore, just the Commanders and Saints, and then they go to New York and back to the Bay to end the year.
Will the Rams try to make a run, or will they tank? That seems to be the question surrounding this team heading into 2023.
Arizona Cardinals
Overview
The NFL is full of uncertainties, but the one certainty heading into the 2023 season is that the Cardinals have no interest in winning football games. Their starting QB is hurt, they are paying players to leave the team, and their new head coach already seems to be in over his head. In Arizona’s case, this is not a big deal because losing a lot of games this season will probably help this team moving forward. The Cardinals’ expectations are low for a reason, and while most teams will try to silence the doubters, Arizona will probably be as bad as advertised.
Key Additions & Departures
Coaching Changes:
- Hired Jonathan Gannon to be the head coach.
- Hired Drew Petzing to be the offensive coordinator.
- Hired Nick Rallis to be the defensive coordinator.
Key Additions/Re-signings:
- Drafted OL Paris Johnson Jr., DE BJ Ojulari, CB Garrett Williams, WR Michael Wilson, OL Jon Gaines, QB Clayton Tune, LB Owen Pappoe, CB Kei’Trel Clark, & DT Dante Stills.
- Signed G Hjalte Froholdt to a two-year, $4.6 million contract.
- Signed WR Zach Pascal to a two-year contract.
- Signed T Kelvin Beachum to a two-year, $5.15 million contract.
- Signed LB Kyzir White to a two-year, $10 million contract.
- Signed G Will Hernandez to a two-year, $9 million contract.
Key Departures:
- Lost WRs AJ Green, DeAndre Hopkins, and Robbie Anderson.
- Lost LB Markus Golden.
- Lost DL Zach Allen.
- Lost CB Byron Murphy.
- Lost OL Cody Ford.
2023 Outlook
The Cardinals are in disarray, but they can right the ship after this season. Arizona has shown no signs of wanting to compete in 2023, and as we mentioned earlier, this is probably for the better. If the Cardinals end up winning eight games, the football world will be shocked.
The Cardinals open their season in D.C., and then they host the Giants and Cowboys before playing the 49ers in The Bay. Then they host the Bengals, go to the Rams, head to Seattle, then come home for the Ravens. Then they are on the move to Cleveland, then back home for the Falcons, then they head to Houston, then they host the Rams, and then go to Pittsburgh before the bye. After the bye, they host the 49ers, head to Chicago and then Philly, and then end their season at home against the Seahawks.
No NFL team will ever admit they are tanking, but the Cardinals may be the closest team to doing so. This season will be fun if Arizona plays spoiler late in the year, but besides that, this roster has all the makings of a bad football team.
NFC West Betting Preview
Who will emerge from training camp as the 49ers’ starting quarterback? Can the Seattle Seahawks continue to build upon last year’s success? Are the Arizona Cardinals in contention for the league’s worst record? GoldSheet’s Director of Analytical Content, Eric Pauly, joins betting analyst Zayd Hussein for a look at the NFC West as we begin to preview the 2023-24 NFL season from a variety of handicapping angles.
Other 2023-24 NFL Division Previews
2023 Football GoldSheet
GoldSheet’s three primary products – The Football GoldSheet, Extra and Confidential Kickoff – are being combined into one product for the 2023-24 football season. The Football GoldSheet features a writeup on EVERY college football and NFL game for the upcoming week, along with some basic stats, power ratings, strength of schedule and week-by-week stat logs. Confidential Kickoff features a head-to-head matchup look at the advanced stat logs, complete with turnover differentials, yards per point and some more in-depth numbers. Extra was created for the technical handicapper that enjoys historical trends and angles. We’ll dip into the database to share some notable trends as they pop up through out the season.
Early-Bird pricing tiers will be in effect until Week 1 of the NFL season. The earlier you buy, the more you’ll save. Lock in the best price and play side-by-side all season long with the country’s oldest sports betting newsletter.
