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Niners Super Bowl Odds Improve to +500, Saints Fade to +750

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 6:17 AM PDT

San Francisco
San Francisco football fans have plenty to cheer about after watching their 49ers make steady gains in the Super Bowl odds with Sunday's win in New Orleans. But can the 49ers maintain their perch atop the NFC standings, and maintain home field advantage throughout the playoffs? Photo by 1st Marine Division (Wiki Commons)
  • San Francisco 49ers have climbed past New Orleans on the Super Bowl odds following Sunday’s win
  • 49ers now trail only Baltimore and New England as a +500 Super Bowl bet
  • With Sunday’s loss, the Saints have been bounced from the top of the NFC standings, and to a lengthy +750 in the Super Bowl odds

The San Francisco 49ers rose to the occasion in Sunday’s crucial Week 14 matchup in New Orleans, eking out a last-second 48-46 victory as 1.5-point road underdogs, and are reaping the benefits in the Super Bowl odds, where they have climbed past the Saints and now sit third as a comfortable +500 wager.

Odds to Win Super Bowl 54

Team Odds
Baltimore Ravens +225
New England Patriots +450
San Francisco 49ers +500
Kansas City Chiefs +700
New Orleans Saints +750
Seattle Seahawks +1200
Green Bay Packers +1400
Minnesota Vikings +3300
Philadelphia Eagles +3300
Dallas Cowboys +4000
Houston Texans +4000
Tennessee Titans +4000

*Odds taken on Dec. 9

Jimmy G, Niners Pass Critical Test

With their heartbreaking 20-17 loss in Baltimore in Week 13, the Niners were bounced from the top of the NFC West standings by Seattle, dumping them to the No. 5 seed in the conference, and saw their average Super Bowl odds slip to as far as +633. The 49ers got a little help on Sunday night from the Los Angeles Rams, who handed the Seahawks a 28-12 defeat, lifting San Francisco back to the top of the division with an 11-2 SU record, one game up on Seattle.

More importantly, the 49ers victory over the Saints inspires confidence that the team can perform on the road in big games. San Francisco had enjoyed a somewhat favorable schedule in its march to an 8-0 SU start. But the Niners saw their unbeaten run ended by Seattle in a 27-24 overtime loss described by Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson as the “craziest game” he’s ever been a part of.

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s ability to get the job done against elite opposition was brought into question following the team’s losses to Seattle and Baltimore. However, Garoppolo turned in one of his best performances of the season against the Saints, connecting on four scoring passes, and calmly guiding the Niners to 516 total yards.

While the Niners can briefly bask in the afterglow of Sunday’s win and their return to the top of the conference standings, they still have plenty of work to do to maintain their position.

While the Niners can briefly bask in the afterglow of Sunday’s win and their return to the top of the conference standings, they still have plenty of work to do to maintain their position. In addition to next weekend’s date with the resurgent Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers face a tough Week 16 matchup against the Rams, who remain in playoff contention, as well as a season finale road date with the Seahawks, who still hold the edge over San Francisco on tiebreakers.

Loss to 49ers Devastating for Saints

For the Saints, Sunday’s loss to San Francisco represents as massive opportunity lost. The first team to clinch a playoff spot this season with their 26-18 win in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day, New Orleans sported average Super Bowl odds of +567 going into this past weekend, trailing only Baltimore and New England, and would have given itself a crucial tiebreak edge over the 49ers with a victory on Sunday.

Instead, the Saints wake up on Monday morning trailing both San Francisco and the Kansas City Chiefs as a lengthy +750 Super Bowl bet. And the Saints’ remaining schedule is not without its challenges. The team closes its home schedule next weekend with a visit from the Indianapolis Colts before hitting the road to face Tennessee and Carolina in their final two outings.

The Colts have seen their playoff hopes evaporate during a 1-5 SU run, capped by a 38-35 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, and have not recorded a win in New Orleans since 2003, but the Titans represent a matchup the Saints cannot afford to look past. Tennessee has won six of seven, including four straight on home turf, to pull even with Houston atop the AFC South, and are also 5-1 SU in their past six against the Saints.

Niners Must Rewrite Narrative to Remain Best Bet

With one look at the standings, it is clear that the 49ers have the inside track on top spot in the NFC, and home field advantage through the conference playoffs. That is reflected in their position as short +200 favorites to win the NFC championship. Indeed, San Francisco controls its own destiny and has to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender for the first time in seven years.

But one narrative must still be rewritten before the 49ers faithful can breathe easy, an eight-game losing streak in Seattle that San Francisco will likely have to snap if they are to claim their first division title, and play their first home playoff game, since the 2012 season.

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