Seahawks Favored to Win NFC West After Week 2, Some Sportsbooks Give Rams Better Odds Than 49ers
- The Seattle Seahawks are 2-0 and are also now the +184 favorites to win the NFC West title
- Defending champion San Francisco, riddled by injury, has seen its betting line fade to +261
- Some sportsbooks put the LA Rams ahead of the 49ers, although on average the Rams are at +294
The Seattle Seahawks are suddenly soaring above the pack in the NFC West. Off to a 2-0 start to the season, Seattle is now the favorite to win the division in the NFC West odds.
On average across the leading sportsbooks, the Seahawks are the +184 chalk. The defending NFC West-champion San Francisco 49ers, riddled by injuries, saw their average odds fade to +261.
A week ago, the Niners (+187) were slight favorites over Seattle (+190).
Some sportsbooks, such as DraftKings, have actually placed the Los Angeles Rams at shorter odds than San Francisco (see table below). On average, though, the Rams are +294.
NFC West Odds
| Team | Week 1 Odds | Week 2 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | +190 | +175 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +326 | +275 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +187 | +300 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +455 | +350 |
Odds as of Sept. 21st at DraftKings.
The Arizona Cardinals, like the Rams and Seahawks, are also 2-0 on the season and aren’t far back at an average betting line of +354.
Combined, the four teams in the NFC West are 7-1 through two weeks. The only setback among the quartet came in Week 1, when the Cardinals upset the 49ers in the Bay Area.
Seahawks Are Cooking
Sunday’s 35-30 victory over the New England Patriots was fashioned on the back of quarterback Russell Wilson’s five touchdown passes. It was clinched when the Seattle defense stuffed Patriots QB Cam Newton on the last play of the game as he tried to sneak into the end zone from one yard out on the game’s final play.
Russell Wilson is the FIRST QB in NFL history to…
throw for 9+ TDs
with fewer than 17 incompletions
in his first 2 gamesWilson destroyed the mark, throwing 9 TDs with just 11 incompletions on 63 attempts (82.5% completions) pic.twitter.com/K1oM4noVv4
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 21, 2020
It’s impressive that the Seahawks have compiled 73 points through two wins. At the same time, it’s somewhat disconcerting that they’ve surrendered 55 points in the process.
After spending two first-round draft picks to add All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, Seattle is dead-last in the NFL at stopping the pass (415.5 yards per game).
Niners Are Hurting
It’s been mentioned with frequency but bears repeating – the last NFC-losing Super Bowl team to get back to the game the next year was the 1971 Dallas Cowboys. Here’s another stat worthy of note – the last five NFC teams to play in the Super Bowl didn’t even win their division the following season.
Already, the Niners are hurting in their bid to repeat. In Sunday’s 31-13 victory over the New York Jets, the injury bug hit San Francisco hard.
#49ers injury roundup:
QB Garoppolo (high ankle sprain)
DE Bosa (likely torn ACL)
TE Kittle (knee sprain)
CB Sherman (IR, calf)
RB Mostert (knee)
DE Ford (neck)
WR Samuel (IR foot)
C Richburg (PUP knee)
DL Thomas (possible torn ACL)
RB Coleman (knee)— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) September 21, 2020
Preliminary tests show DE Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL DROY, suffered a torn ACL. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a high-ankle sprain. It’s the type of injury that could keep him out several weeks, if it’s on the serious side.
Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas also suffered a suspected ACL tear to his left knee. Running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman were lost to knee injuries.
San Fran was already playing without DE Dee Ford, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, cornerback Richard Sherman, and tight end George Kittle. That’s an awful lot of carnage just two weeks into the season.
Are the Rams Back?
The Rams also suffered a setback injury-wise in Week 2, losing running back Cam Akers to a rib injury. It doesn’t appear to be a long-term ailment, though.
LA is deep in the backfield. Darrell Henderson stepped up in Akers’ absence and compiled 121 all-purpose yards and a TD in their Week 2 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s always sunny in Philadelphia 😉 pic.twitter.com/HqUWVIqWYU
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 20, 2020
LA can weather the short-term loss of Akers. The passing game gives QB Jared Goff plenty of options.
Defensively, the new scheme installed by the Rams appears to be suited to bring out the mad skills of defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Cardinals Rule
Quietly lurking in the shadows, the Cardinals are also 2-0. Kliff Kingsbury might be the best NFL coach no one talks about.
Kyler Murray has:
▪︎ More rush yds than Christian McCaffrey
▪︎ More rush TD than Ezekiel Elliott
▪︎ More pass yds than Patrick MahomesRedefining DUAL-THREAT #RedSea pic.twitter.com/bZQa5dCnWS
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 21, 2020
Getting DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans to put with the dual threat that is QB Kyler Murray gives the Cards a lot of cards to play. On defense, Chandler Jones and Budda Baker are playmakers.
It’s Seattle’s to Lose
In 2019, the Seahawks were right on the heels of the 49ers all year. Unless they make a misstep, they’ll win the division.
An entire team celebration.#BudLightCelly x @BudLight pic.twitter.com/1EgG1E7r8N
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 21, 2020
The NFC West looks like it could put three teams in the postseason. The toughest call may be determining which team will miss out.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks (+175)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
