The most wide-open division in all of football is the NFC West. No other division can say that all four teams have a legitimate shot at claiming first place at the end of the year. The odds prove that. The longest shot on the board are the Arizona Cardinals and they are only +550.
The Seattle Seahawks (+280) took home the crown in 2020 thanks mostly to the rash of injuries suffered by the San Francisco 49ers. The defense is solid and the running game is one of the best in the league, but San Fran must settle on a quarterback if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. Jimmy Garoppolo is probably the better option to start the season but first round draft pick Trey Lance could unseat him quickly.
NFC West Standings [2020]
| NFC | WEST | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Seahawks | 12 | 4 | 0 |
 | Rams | 10 | 6 | 0 |
 | Cardinals | 8 | 8 | 0 |
 | 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 |
The Seahawks are loaded on offense led by future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson, but the defense is a question mark, especially the line. Seattle needs to be able to put more pressure on the quarterback then they did a year ago.
The Rams are also loaded on both sides of the ball, but there’s a new signal-caller under center. Gone is Jared Goff, who never did see eye-to-eye with head coach Sean McVay. In comes proven veteran Matthew Stafford, who put up big numbers in Detroit but never had a good enough team around him to succeed.
The wild card this division are the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray had this team clicking in the first half of the season before he hobbled his way through injuries in the second half. The defense brought in J.J. Watt and will be much improved.
Odds to Win NFC West:
San Francisco 49ers +175
Los Angeles Rams +190
Seattle Seahawks +280
Arizona Cardinals +550
Season Win Totals:
San Francisco 49ers 10.5 o125
Los Angeles Rams 10.5 u130
Seattle Seahawks 9.5 o160
Arizona Cardinals 8.5 u125
Jay’s Season Win Total Best Bet: It’s going to be almost impossible for all of these teams to go over their win total because of the parity that exists in this division. Arizona’s schedule sets up nice with teams from the AFC South and NFC North. We’re talking Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit and Chicago. They do get Green Bay and Minnesota at home. I love this offense and just the presence of Watt on the other side of the ball will make this team better. I’ll predict 9-8 or better.
Cardinals OVER 8.5 +100
Jay’s Pick to Win Division: I’m predicting a big bounce back year for the 49ers. You never want to blame injuries, but let’s be honest, this team suffered more than any other team in the league. Garoppolo got this team to a Super Bowl a couple of years ago and he has a solid running game behind him to take the pressure off. And of course the defense is still terrific – when healthy.
49ers +175
To see more odds and props for the NFC West, click here.
More Previews!
AFC East Preview
AFC South Preview
AFC North Preview
AFC West Preview
NFC East Preview
NFC North Preview
NFC South Preview
