Baseball season is barely more than a month old, but what does that matter when fresh over/unders have been released for the upcoming NFL season?
Thanks to Sportsbook.og, we have an early look at what Las Vegas believes will be the win totals for each NFL team.
I’ll take a look at each team this week and will continue today with the NFC West.
Arizona Cardinals: over/under 9.5 (-140 over/+110 under)
This should be a no-brainer. The Cardinals are still elite on the defensive side of the ball and the offense should still be able to get enough done to be a top-tier team in the NFL. But I’m possibly the only person in America not buying the Cardinals this season.
I’ve watched a lot of football in my life. Sometimes, when a loss happens like it did last season in the NFC Championship game, that sticks with a team and the next year doesn’t go as smoothly as many would anticipate. That’s my guess for what will happen with the Cardinals this season. Carson Palmer looked atrocious last season in the year’s finale. He may have been injured, but that’s a common trait for Palmer that won’t get better with age. The NFC West is improving with Los Angeles and Seattle likely being better this season. It’s a hunch, but I don’t see the same Cardinals team as in past years. — Under
Los Angeles Rams: over/under 7.5 (+115 over/-140 under)
It doesn’t surprise me how much oddsmakers are juicing the under at 7.5. A rookie quarterback is a distinct possibility as a starter at some point this season and while the Rams have accumulated talent in the past few years, they’ve hung around that 7-9 and 8-8 mark consistently.
I’m not 100 percent sold on the Rams going for eight wins this season, especially with four games against the Cardinals and Seahawks. But if you’re looking for a sneaky playoff contender, the Rams might just be it. That defense is a legitimate contender and the schedule sets up nicely, with pretty much only one non-divisional road (New England) game that should be considered a certain loss. I’m getting a good value for the over in this category, so I’m cautiously backing the Rams. — Over
San Francisco 49ers: over/under 5.5 (-115 over/-115 under)
San Francisco is one of a handful of teams that should compete for the No. 1 pick in 2017. That’s a major reason why the 49ers only need to accomplish six victories to go over its predicted win totals. To me, this all comes down to what your perception of Chip Kelly is as a NFL coach. Some completely dismiss him. Some, like me, think he can still get the job done. He went for back-to-back 10-win seasons in Philadelphia with a roster that just wasn’t that good. He’s got a similar problem with the 49ers, but he still has enough left in the coaching tank to make a difference right away. Nobody’s talking about San Francisco as a team capable of being much better than 4-12. That’s a mistake with Kelly at the helm. I don’t care what the schedule is for San Francisco. I don’t care about the quarterback. This team will reach at least six wins. — Over
Seattle Seahawks: over/under 10.5 (-140 over/+110 under)
Sometimes the number is just too easy to pass up. That’s the case for Seattle. The Seahawks will come back this year with a renewed vision to get back to the Super Bowl. Last year, it seemed like they suffered from a hangover after competing in two straight Super Bowls. That happens, even with great teams. I’m still not completely sold on the offensive line, but I just don’t see the Seahawks not winning 11 games this year. We can count on at least seven wins at home, meaning the Seahawks only need to go .500 on the road to reach the over. That will happen and Seattle will compete for a bye in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
