NFC West Odds: Trust in Seahawks Again?
Here it is: our final NFL divisional break down. It had to come sometime, and what better time than the day of the 2015 NFL season’s first game? Get your NFL betting caps strapped in tight, because the season is finally here and if you want to bet on divisions, playoffs and the Super Bowl, now is probably the time.
So, let’s tackle what is at hand. After rolling through the other seven NFL divisions, we’re finally to the NFC West, where the mighty Seattle Seahawks probably appropriately lead the way with -275. They’ve made it to two straight Super Bowls and could very well be en route to a third. But there might not be a better division to pick an upset. Why? Because Seattle is the clear favorite and they might be a tad vulnerable.
For one, stud safety Kam Chancellor is holding out for a new deal. That’s not good. On top of that, fellow safety Earl Thomas (shoulder) plans on playing at less than 100%. Also not good. And while adding Jimmy Graham might give the offense a boost is sorely needs in the passing game, they sacrificed center Max Unger to make it happen. That could hurt the running game just a scorch. Seattle suddenly isn’t the safe lock we thought they were.
Well, they probably still are. I mean, they’re the Seahawks.
But there are three other teams to think about. Arizona has the second best odds to win the NFC West (+400), but it’s the Rams (+1000) and 49ers (+1200) that make this really interesting.
Arizona lost a lot of pieces on defense but still figures to be strong in that area, while a healthy Carson Palmer gives their offense life again. After starting 2014 out super hot, some people think they might even be a Super Bowl contender. I’m not one of them, but they’re not a bad try for the NFC West.
The Rams and Niners on the surface are not playoff teams and aren’t in contention for the NFC West. That being said, they also aren’t getting much credit for their upside. St. Louis has issues at corner thanks to injuries but is otherwise absolutely stacked defensively. They also drafted Todd Gurley and upgrade at quarterback with Nick Foles. Both moves could backfire, or the Rams could suddenly have a decent offense to go with a surging defense.
San Francisco is kind of the opposite of the Rams. All of their best defensive talent retired or just left, while they switched to a younger, better running back and brought in speedy receiver Torrey Smith. Their offense could be a lot better, but on paper their once proud defense is full of holes.
If you want the safe bet and the sure return on your money, Seattle is obviously the way to go. If you want a reliable bet with some solid upside, Arizona is a solid second choice. But if you’re feeling really saucy, try on the Rams or Niner for size. Both teams are supposedly going in very different directions, but the payoff would be huge if you ended up being right. Of the two, the Rams are the better pick, albeit with less upside.
Leave a Reply