Last year, the San Francisco 49ers emerged as the NFC West winner and made it all the way to the Super Bowl where they fell short against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Heading into the 2020 NFL season, the 49ers are the slight favorites to not only win the NFC West, but to also win the NFC Championship again.
Breathing down San Francisco’s neck is the Seattle Seahawks who could’ve won the division last year if it weren’t for injuries and a few questionable calls.
The Arizona Cardinals made one of the biggest moves this offseason, but will it be enough to contend in the West? The fourth team is the Rams who were in the Super Bowl two years ago, but took a big step back last season. Will LA bounce back in 2020?
.@PSchrags says the #49ers are still the team to beat in the NFC West and it’s not even close. #GoNiners
📽️: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/FNhpww9QL5
— Alex Tran (@49grams) August 24, 2020
NFL Betting Odds
The following betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
- San Francisco 49ers (+130)
- Seattle Seahawks (+190)
- Los Angeles Rams (+500)
- Arizona Cardinals (+525)
San Francisco 49ers (+130)
- Over 10½ Wins (-125)
- Under 10½ Wins (-105)
The main priority for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason was to keep as much of their Super Bowl roster together as possible and add some depth where needed.
A lot of attention is being placed on the offense where the team lost RB Matt Breida and WR Emmanuel Sanders. San Francisco is hoping that 1st round draft pick WR Brandon Aiyuk can replace Sanders’ contributions.
The 49ers added some pieces to the o-line in the draft and via trade as they acquired Trent Williams to play LT. The former all-pro is looking to get back on track and could be a great addition to the team.
Defensively, there are some concerns that this unit won’t be as good as last year. They lost DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day on the d-line and don’t have the players to replace them. The linebackers and secondary are the same, but a weaker d-line could make their jobs a lot harder.
San Francisco 49ers 2020 Schedule
The 49ers don’t have their Bye until Week 11. They will play 10 games before a break. The first five games could all be winnable as they play the Cardinals, Jets, Giants, Eagles, and Dolphins. I see the 49ers going at least 4-1.
The next five games are against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, Packers and Saints. This is their toughest stretch of the season and I could see them go 3-2 or 2-3.
The last six games of the regular season are against the Rams, Bills, Washington, Dallas, Arizona and Seattle. We could possibly see that Week 17 matchup with Seattle as the game that decides the NFC West division. The 49ers should be able to go 4-2 over that stretch.
San Francisco’s Over/Under is set at 10.5 wins. When looking at their schedule they could easily finish 11-5 or 10-6. With that in mind, I’m taking the Over as the 49ers should end up at least 11-5 unless Jimmy G. regresses in 2020.
Since 2002, the 49ers have won the NFC West four times. Every team in the division has won the title at least once. In fact, every team has won the division in consecutive years at least once. So, it’s not farfetched to think that San Francisco can win the NFC West again.
Seattle Seahawks (+190)
- Over 9 Wins (-150)
- Under 9 Wins (+120)
Most of the Seattle Seahawks‘ offseason transactions were regarding the re-signing of their own players. However, they still had enough salary cap to bring in some pieces that improve the overall talent of this team.
Offensively, it’s all about protecting QB Russell Wilson and giving him more weapons. Seattle did just that by adding TE Greg Olsen, WR Phillip Dorsett, RB Carlos Hyde, OL Brandon Shell, and OT Cedric Ogbuehi. Although these moves aren’t flashy, they definitely add depth and talent to the Seattle offense.
Russell Wilson has the 2nd easiest QB strength of schedule in 2020 👀
Let. Russ. Cook.
Get PFF’s strength of schedule tool here ➡️ https://t.co/sgvdLIJb0S pic.twitter.com/8f97Dk8slR
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) August 23, 2020
Defensively, Seattle made flashier moves by bringing back Bruce Irvin after a four year hiatus from the team. They also traded for CB Quinton Dunbar who gives the team a very talented corner. And, with the trade for Safety Jamal Adams, Seattle has a “Legion of Boom” secondary once again.
Lastly, Seattle also added two potential Week 1 contributors in the 2020 NFL Draft by taking LB Jordyn Brooks in the first round and DL Darrell Taylor in the 2nd round. Both players bring athleticism and tenacity to a veteran heavy defense.
Seattle Seahawks 2020 Schedule
Seattle’s first five games are against Atlanta, New England, Dallas, Miami, and Minnesota. This by no means is an easy slate to open up the season. They will be fortunate to go 3-2 as the Seahawks have been slow out of the gate in recent years.
Following their Week 6 Bye, Seattle has four divisional games and one non-conference matchup over the next five weeks. They play two against Arizona, one apiece against the 49ers and Rams, and a tough matchup against Buffalo. I like them to go 3-2 or 2-3 over this stretch.
Seattle could be 5-5 heading into the final six games where I expect them to beat Philly, the Giants, the Jets and Washington to improve to 9-5. From there, they play the Rams and 49ers to close out the season. I say they split those two games and finish at 10-6 on the year.
The Over/Under is set at 9 wins. I like the Over in this one. Even if they finish at 9-7, that’s still a push and you won’t lose your wager.
The Seahawks haven’t won the NFC West since 2016, but they do have the most divisional titles since 2002 with eight.
Los Angeles Rams (+500)
- Under 8½ Wins (-125)
- Over 8½ Wins (-105)
After going to the Super Bowl two seasons ago, the Los Angeles Rams took a step back in 2019 by finishing 9-7. Since then, the team has undergone many roster changes that leave fans and pundits wondering how good they will be in 2020.
The Rams lost DE Dante Fowler Jr., LB, Cory Littleton, RB Todd Gurley, WR Brandin Cooks, K Greg Zuerlein, S Eric Weddle, LB Clay Matthews, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, and backup QB Blake Bortles.
They added DT A’Shawn Robinson and OLB Leonard Floyd, but these two players don’t make up for the significant losses on defense.
Offensively, the Rams appear to still be in good shape with most of their key starters back except for Cooks and Gurley. However they did draft RB Cam Akers and WR Van Jefferson. Both players could carve out roles in their rookie years. In fact, Akers could be a beast if he gets enough playing time.
With that said, QB Jared Goff will need to have an MVP type of year for the Rams to have any hope at the division crown.
Los Angeles Rams 2020 Schedule
The Rams open the season with three tough games in a row: Dallas, Philly and Buffalo. I expect the team to go 0-3 out of the gate.
Things get a bit easier over the next five games as they should beat the Giants, Washington and Miami. I see them losing to the 49ers, but could end up beating the Bears if Trubisky or Foles has a bad day at the office. This should be a 3-2 stretch and the Rams could be 3-5 heading into their Bye Week.
Following the Bye Week, things look ugly for the Rams. They play Seattle, Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Arizona. That’s a 1-3 stretch.
The final month of the season will see the Rams play the Patriots, Jets, Seattle and Arizona. That’s a 2-2 stretch at best. I think the Rams will end up 6-10 or 7-9 on the season.
Los Angeles has won the NFC West on three occasions with the last one coming in 2018 when they went to the Super Bowl.
This year, I believe the Rams will end up at the bottom of the division as Arizona has improved a lot this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals (+525)
- Over 7½ Wins (-130)
- Under 7½ Wins (+100)
The Arizona Cardinals made arguably the biggest move in the offseason when they traded RB David Johnson to Houston for WR DeAndre Hopkins who is one of the best receivers in the league.
Bringing in a weapon like Hopkins will go a long way towards helping second year franchise QB Kyler Murray take another big step in his on-field play.
With Hopkins, Fitzgerald, Butler, Kirk, and Isabella at WR, this is arguably the best WR bunch in the division. Then you add running backs Drake and Edmonds into the passing game along with their rushing attack, and the Cardinals are poised to have an explosive offense in 2020.
Waiting.
Excited.
Ready.Rise Up #RedSea. pic.twitter.com/GXZm4ydpzv
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 24, 2020
Defensively, the Cardinals have made many moves to improve the overall talent on this side of the ball. They added LB’s De’Vondre Campbell and Devon Kennard along with DT Jordan Phillips and DB Dre Kirkpatrick. They also drafted one of the best players in the 2020 NFL Draft – LB Isaiah Simmons from Clemson.
Where the Rams appear on the decline, the Cardinals appear on the rise.
Arizona Cardinals 2020 Schedule
The Cardinals’ first month of the season consists of games against San Francisco, Washington, Detroit, Carolina and the Jets. From there, they play Dallas and Seattle before their Bye Week. I see the Cardinals going 4-3 heading into their week off.
Following the Bye Week, Arizona plays Miami, Buffalo, New England, Seattle and the Rams. That’s a 1-4 stretch, maybe 2-3 at best. More than likely, Arizona heads into the final month with a record of 6-6.
In the final four games, Arizona plays the Giants, Eagles, 49ers, and Rams. I see a 2-2 stretch where it leaves Arizona 8-8 on the season, which is an improvement over last year’s 5-10-1. That means they should go Over 7.5 wins.
Although they’ve made big improvements, Arizona will finish 3rd in the division. The Cardinals haven’t won the NFC West since 2015, and have three titles since 2002.
Who Wins the NFC West in 2020?
In reality, the NFC West is a two-horse race for the second straight year. And, it’s the same two teams as the 49ers and Seahawks will battle it out for the division once again.
Right now, I give the slight edge to the Seahawks because of their offseason moves and draft. Furthermore, Russell Wilson is the best QB in the division and they improved more this offseason than the 49ers did.
It’s a close battle and you could go either way, but I like Wilson and Seattle’s +190 odds over Jimmy G. and the 49ers’ +130 odds.
Who Wins the NFC West in 2020? –Seattle Seahawks (+190)
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
