The updated NFL futures odds at BetOnline to win the NFC West Division title point towards the Los Angeles Rams repeating as champs, but the betting buzz surrounding the new-look San Francisco 49ers continues to get louder with summer training camps underway.
Quarterbacks could be the big story in the NFC West Division title race this season with Jared Goff in Los Angeles and Jimmy Garoppolo grabbing most of the headlines ahead of veteran Russell Wilson in Seattle and rookie Josh Rosen in Arizona. The betting lines for the division futures from BetOnline Sportsbook accurately reflect the situation.
Los Angeles Rams -140
The Rams took a significant step forward last season behind Jared Goff in his first year as the full-time starter. They went 11-5 to post their first winning season since 2003. Sean McVay received coach of the year honors in his first season at the helm, and a revitalized Todd Gurley running the ball made Los Angeles one of the most balanced offenses in the league. The Rams’ defense also stepped up its game as a big part of this sudden turnaround.
Everything points to another run to the division title in 2018 as odds-on favorites, but the Rams will still face the new challenge of living up to expectations as opposed to flying below the radar. Goff is the real deal at quarterback and all those years of low draft picks have really paid off. I would have to admit that road to the NFC West title still goes through Los Angeles.
San Francisco 49ers +250
San Francisco has made a concerted effort to upgrade its personnel on both sides of the ball starting at the quarterback position. Garoppolo got everyone’s attention by leading the 49ers on a five-game winning streak to close out the 2017 regular season at 6-10. He will be another young quarterback that will feel the pressure of living up to some high expectations on a team that has not won more than eight games in each of its last four seasons.
While the 49ers remain confident that they have successfully filled the void at quarterback, they will need better production from a running game that was 20th in the league last season. Adding tackle Mike McGlinchey with the ninth pick in the first round of the draft is a step in the right direction.
Seattle Seahawks +500
The Seahawks’ rapid fall from the ranks of the NFC elite is expected to continue with betting lines favoring the UNDER on nine wins. They went 9-7 last season to miss the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Russel Wilson was a one-man show on offense last year, and the once vaunted Seattle defense is just a mere shell of its former self with mass defections over the past few years.
Pete Carroll could be under the gun for the first time in his nine-year tenure as head coach. He added running back Penny Rashaad to the roster in the first round of the draft before using three of his next four picks on the defensive side of the ball. Having Wilson at quarterback is still a big plus, but last season proved that he cannot do it all.
Arizona Cardinals +1200
Another NFC West team that has fallen down the conference ranks rather quickly is Arizona. After posting 13 victories in 2015 to win the division, the Cardinals have combined to win a total of 15 games their last two seasons. Head coach Bruce Arians is out, and Steve Wilks has been tasked to turn things around. That could be a tall task with an offense that was 25th in the league in scoring points (18.4) complementing a defense that was 19th in points allowed (22.6).
To try and seal up the quarterback position for the next decade or so, Arizona used the 10th overall pick of the draft to select Josh Rosen. This move could provide some huge dividends down the road, but there is a reason why the Cardinals’ odds to win the division this season are so long.
