Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, we’re tracking the NFC West odds to see which teams are expected to fare well in this division.
Bwin has a wide range of NFL betting odds on every match and futures markets on everything from the next Super Bowl winner to individual player props.
Here, we’re providing our NFC West predictions and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each team:
1st ARIZONA CARDINALS
All eyes will be on Kyler Murray after he put pen to paper on a five-year, $230.5million contract extension.
“He is going to continue to get better,” declared coach Kliff Kingsbury. “The contract deal I feel really good about. We know he’s our future here. The talent, I’ve said it since I got here, is generational – with what he can do running and throwing the football.”
Arizona won 10 of their first 12 games last season before slipping to 11-6 and then being hammered by the Rams in the playoffs, but injuries hurt them during that tough stretch.
This time, there could be problems early on, with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins suspended for six matches and the defence getting used to coping without Chandler Jones.
Acquiring Marquise Brown for a first-round pick looks a good option, though, with the wideout reunited with college pal Murray, so the smart money is still on the Cardinals being there or thereabouts once more.
2nd LOS ANGELES RAMS
The Rams reaped the rewards of making a splash in the transfer market last term by finishing the regular season strongly and then riding the crest of a wave all the way to Super Bowl glory.
However, head coach Sean McVay has some obstacles to overcome in terms of maintaining the momentum, with influential short-term signings Von Miller and Odell Beckham moving on and excellent left tackle Andrew Whitworth hanging up his boots.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson, linebacker Bobby Wagner and lineman Joe Noteboom are all solid replacements, while Matthew Stafford again has top target Cooper Kupp to rely on.
Only once in the last seven years has a team claimed back-to-back titles in this tricky pool, though, and we’re prepared to take Los Angeles on in our NFC West preview.
3rd SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
San Francisco recovered well from a shaky start to finish at 10-7 last term, winning seven of their final nine matches in the regular season, before beating Dallas and Green Bay in the play-offs, only to be edged out 20-17 by LA in the NFC Championship game.
This well-balanced team ended up with the seventh-best stats on offence and were as high as third in the defensive ratings, led by Nick Bosa up front and an athletic secondary.
The major talking point now is whether Trey Lance can prove an upgrade on Jimmy Garoppolo after being promoted to QB1 ahead of his second pro campaign.
4th SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Seattle fell from first to last in 2021, dropping off from a 12-4 record to 7-10, which may have prompted the decision to reset and rebuild.
The main transition was to trade veteran signal caller Russell Wilson to Denver and it seems as though Pete Carroll has enough faith in Drew Lock to fill the void after he was a makeweight in that deal.
Also going out of the exit door went tackle Duane Brown, linebacker Bobby Wagner and cornerback CJ Reed, so there are some big shoes to fill.
The good news is that wide receiver DK Metcalf has signed a new long-term deal and should again shine alongside Tyler Lockett, while top draft pick Charles Cross is a highly-rated tackle, but it may take time to turn things back around in the right direction.
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