88 DAYS UNTIL NFL FOOTBALL! THE COUNTDOWN UNTIL THE START OF THE NFL CONTINUES! With the days until the start of the season continuing to get smaller, it’s time to look at the NFC West. (Odds as of 6/10/2023, and as always, please bet responsibly.
2023-2024 NFC West Preview
San Francisco 49ers:
Key Additions: QB Sam Darnold, DT Javon Hargrave, K Zane Gonzalez
Key Departures: K Robbie Gould, QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Notable Draft Picks: S Ji’Ayir Brown, K Jake Moody, TE Cameron Latu, CB Darrell Luter Jr., DL Robert Beal Jr., WR Ronnie Bell
Season-Long Futures
- San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl LVIII Winner +1000, FanDuel;
- San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC Championship +330, FanDuel;
- San Francisco 49ers to be the NFC #1 Seed for the 2023-2024 NFL Playoffs +400, FanDuel;
- San Francisco to win the NFC West -165, FanDuel;
- San Francisco 49ers Over 10.5 Wins -142/ Under 10.5 Wins +116, FanDuel
Season Outlook
As hard as it is to try and hear through all the 49ers players and coaches still complaining about losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in last year’s playoffs, let’s try our best. There’s no denying that the 49ers are a good football team. They are returning most of their team that made it to the NFC Championship last year and are ready to have star running back Christian McCaffrey for his first full season as a 49er.
The 49ers also managed to bolster their defense for the upcoming season, signing DT Javon Hargrave during the offseason. The true question for the 49ers’ upcoming season concerns the quarterback position.
With Brock Purdy still recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), Trey Lance returning after breaking his ankle/suffering a ligament injury that required season-ending surgery, and the offseason arrival of Sam Darnold, it’s still unclear who will be the starting quarterback for the 49ers come Week 1.
With the questions at quarterback, I expect the 49ers not to have as good a season as they did last year. We all saw a quarterback’s importance in that NFC Championship game last season. (Remember the one the Eagles won. Go Birds.) Imagine a whole season of questions about the quarterback decision. For that reason, the only future mentioned above that I like is the San Francisco 49ers Under 10.5 Wins at +116.
Seattle Seahawks:
Key Additions: DE Dre’Mont Jones, C Evan Brown, DE Jarran Reed, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Devin Bush, S Julian Love
Key Departures: WR Marquise Goodwin, DE L.J. Collier, RB Travis Homer, RB Rashaad Penny, LB Cody Barton, S Ryan Neal
Notable Draft Picks: CB Devon Witherspoon, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, OLB Derick Hall, RB Zach Charbonnet, G Anthony Bradford, DT Cameron Young, DE Mike Morris, C Olusegun Oluwatimi
Season-Long Futures
- Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl LVIII +3500, FanDuel
- Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC Championship +1300, FanDuel
- Seattle Seahawks to be the NFC #1 Seed for the 2023-2024 NFL Playoffs +1600, FanDuel
- Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West +220, FanDuel
- Seattle Seahawks Over 8.5 wins -142 / Under 8.5 wins +116, FanDuel
Season Outlook
The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a nine-win season and appearance in the 2022-2023 NFL playoffs via the NFC wild card. Seattle’s front office has also been busy during the offseason, resigning pro-bowl quarterback Geno Smith. The Seahawks also managed to re-sign K Jason Myers, who earned All-Pro honors last season while leading all NFL kickers in scoring.
The Seattle Seahawks front office was also busy during free agency, adding multiple notable players, but no more notable than LB Bobby Wagner, a previous member of the Seahawks who has nine all-pro seasons in his career.
Following up on a busy offseason, the Seahawks had a strong 2023 NFL Draft, selecting both CB Devon Witherspoon and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round while adding what could prove to be multiple key pieces in additional rounds. The triple threat at wide receiver with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will undoubtedly be exciting!
With Seattle re-signing Smith, adding key free agents, and having such a strong draft, I expect Pete Carroll and his team to continue on last year’s momentum, have another strong season, and find themselves in playoff contention. I think Seattle and company will shock NFL fans and win the NFC West while also delivering on the over for their regular season wins. While many NFL fans will write Smith and the Seahawks off, look for Seattle not to write back.
Los Angeles Rams:
Key Additions: WR Demarcus Robinson, WR Tyler Johnson
Key Departures: LB Bobby Wagner, OLB Leonard Floyd, WR Allen Robinson, QB Baker Mayfield, S Nick Scott, CB Jalen Ramsey, S Taylor Rupp, K Matt Gay
Notable Draft Picks: G Steve Avila, EDGE Bryon Young, DT, Kobie Turner, QB Stetson Bennett, WR Puka Nacua, CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, RB Zach Evans
Season-Long Futures
- Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl LVIII +6000, FanDuel
- Los Angeles Rams to win the NFC Championship +3500, FanDuel
- Los Angeles Rams to win the NFC West +850, FanDuel
- Los Angeles Rams Over 6.5 wins +104 / Under 6.5 wins -128 FanDuel
Season Outlook
This season could be quite an interesting season for the Rams. The range of possible outcomes is truly up in the air. The Rams could be a good team, the Rams could be a mediocre team, or the Rams could be a bad team, and they could also be anywhere between the three.
Los Angeles has had a quiet offseason regarding additions due to cap concerns and having zero cap space. The Rams have had the opposite of a quiet offseason in terms of offseason losses, with the loss of many key players such as CB Jalen Ramsey and LBs Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd. The Rams also had a relatively quiet draft but did get a talented offensive lineman in G Steve Avila.
The most crucial factor for the Rams in the upcoming season is the health of the Rams’ core three of Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and Matthew Stafford. If any of those three cannot have a healthy 2023 season, it could be a repeat of a very disappointing 2022 season.
Even with those three healthy, the Rams will still have an uphill battle in the upcoming season as they try to return to the success that had them celebrating a Super Bowl LVI victory in 2021. It’s not going to be a pretty season, but look for the Rams to be able to win over 6.5 games in the upcoming season.
Arizona Cardinals:
Key Additions: Head Coach Jonathan Gannon, WR Zach Pascal, DL L.J. Collier, LB Kyzir White
Key Departures: WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Chosen Robbie Anderson, DE J.J. Watt, DT Zach Allen, CB Byron Murphy Jr.
Notable Draft Picks: T Paris Johnson Jr., EDGE B.J. Ojulari, CB Garrett Williams, WR Michael Wilson
Season-Long Futures
- Arizona Cardinals to win Super Bowl LVIII +18000, FanDuel
- Arizona Cardinals to win the NFC Championship +8500, FanDuel
- Arizona Cardinals to win the NFC West +2400, FanDuel
- Arizona Cardinals Over 4.5 wins -102 / Under 4.5 wins -120, FanDuel
- Arizona Cardinals to be the last winless team +480 FanDuel
- Arizona Cardinals to have the worst regular season record +320, FanDuel
- Any team to go 0-17 in 2023-24, Yes, +1000, FanDuel
Season Outlook
It’s going to be a long (read as longggggggggg to emphasize truly how long the season is going to be for the Cardinals) season or potentially seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. With quarterback Kyler Murray out for at least half the season, Arizona could keep him out for all of 2023.
On top of not having their franchise quarterback due to recovery from a torn ACL suffered last season, the Cardinals decided to release star WR DeAndre Hopkins during the offseason as well as losing DT Zach Allen and CB Byron Murphy Jr. to free agency. The Cardinals committed to their future by drafting T Paris Johnson Jr., but that won’t help them much this season.
The Cardinals look to be in a rebuild type of season, so there’s not much to expect from the franchise in the upcoming season. I’m looking at the under 4.5 regular season wins to be the move here. Well as the Arizona Cardinals to have the worst regular season record at +320.
I think it’s pretty hard for any NFL franchise not to at least win one game in a season anymore, but if there’s a team that has a chance to do it, it could very well be the Cardinals this year, making any team to go 0-17 in 2023-24, Yes +1000 a future that is at least worth thinking about playing.
