Super Bowl XLV Odds: NFC West Teams

Obviously, the NFC West hasn’t gotten too much love in terms of their chances of winning. And I can’t blame the books, the oddsmakers, who in their right mind sees one of these teams reaching the Super Bowl in a stacked NFC? Saints, Eagles, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, Falcons – none of these teams have a chance… Right?

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals (35-1)
San Francisco 49ers (40-1)
Seattle Seahawks (60-1)
St. Louis Rams (200-1)

Arizona Cardinals (35-1): There’s not much to like about the Cardinals right now. They are watching talent get shipped out, retiring, headed to free agency, and so on. They haven’t been great over the last few regular seasons, only to turn it on come playoff time – but without those mainstays, arguably their most important players on both sides of the ball (Dansby and Warner), and possibly trading Boldin, these Cardinals hardly look like the best bet in this division. So, even at 35-1, I would stay away.

San Francisco 49ers (40-1): I love the 49ers. They have a good young fiery coach, a tough nosed defense that is young and getting better, and a young quarterback that played pretty well last year. They don’t have a great offensive line, and I’m not sure they have much of an identity on offense, however, so they are a tough bet for me, even at 40-1. They have a chance to win this division, I’m just not sure that I trust Frank Gore to stay healthy, nor do I think he will be used properly. They have a chance, but not good enough for me to bet them.

Seattle Seahawks (60-1): The Seahawks were coached poorly last season. That’s the only way you can explain the way this very talented team played. They have an uncapped year a brand new coach that has been successful, and an owner that has been open with Pete Carol that money isn’t much of an issue, and that he wants to win now. They have a quarterback that has struggled, and an offensive line that has been bad enough to make any QB struggle. They have a defense that allowed a million big plays, despite obvious talent throughout. But this team has upside, no doubt about it. And with two draft picks in the first half of the first round this year, big pockets for free agency dollars, and a new outlook and coach – at 60-1, the Hawks are my favorite bet in the NFC West.

St. Louis Rams (200-1): The Rams are unlikely to win anything, but even I would put 5 bucks down on them to win – you never know, and they’ve been so involved in trade talks for pretty solid players that anything could happen. They have a good coach, i know that, and a defense that improved as the season moved forward. They need some parts, but a $5 bet gets me $1000 – that’s probably worth it to me.