Odds to win NFC West: -185
Odds to win Super Bowl: 45 to 1
Last season, the betting world watched as San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary pounded and molded the hapless 49ers into an 8-8 team. While 8-8 seems anti-climactic in the world of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, when you consider what Singletary had to work with the results are nothing short of a miracle.
NFL betting experts actually like the 49ers chances of winning the NFC West in 2010, and the 49ers appear to have the talent to respond. As with any NFL team looking to win, it all starts at the quarterback position. In the days when he had an influence on college football betting, David Carr was an exciting quarterback that could win games. When the Houston Texans drafted Carr as their first marquee player, big things were expected. While Carr had some success in Houston, he failed to deliver on the promise that his college career had made.
Now Carr has resigned himself to the role of back-up, and he looks to mentor 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith. Smith is in his sixth year in the league, and to this point he has not done much to make himself a household name in San Francisco. Last year Smith started 10 of the 49ers 16 games. He threw for 2,350 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It was the first time in his NFL career that Smith had thrown for more touchdowns than interceptions in his career. Has he finally turned a corner in his development? Mike Singletary and the 49ers fans certainly hope so.
The one area where the 49ers are thin is at running back. Once you get past work horse Frank Gore, there is not much on the 49ers roster. Perhaps draft choice Anthony Dixon will step in as a second running back, or second-year man Brit Miller may step up this season.
It will be interesting to see how well wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree work together. Both have a history of being difficult to work with, but both possess tremendous speed and hands. If Smith can get the ball deep, the 49ers could be a potent offense.
The 49ers defensive line is a collection of unknown players anchored by 10-year veteran Justin Smith. The 49ers had a problem stopping the run last year, so they are hoping that veteran linebackers Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis will keep the 49ers in the NFL week 1 betting and beyond by shutting down the run.
The 49ers secondary is a mix of players like 10-year veteran Nate Clements and a bunch of newly drafted defensive backs such as Phillip Adams and Tramaine Brock. In the NFC the 49ers will have to deal with potent passing attacks like those in Atlanta, Minnesota and New Orleans. The draft picks will have to step it up this season to get the job done.
The fate of the 49ers rests more in the fact that every other team in the NFC West has declined while the 49ers have improved. That leaves the 49ers as the best team in the division, and they should be able to get into the playoffs this season as NFC West division champions.
