NFC West Title Odds Heading into Week 4

The NFC West put three teams in the playoffs a season ago. If not for the automatic bid, the division would be lucky to send a single team to the second season right now as ugly it’s been through the first three weeks of the NFL betting season. The Trey Lance era is already done in San Francisco. Seattle is actually passing the ball and getting to the line quickly. Aaron Donald and Co. can’t stop anyone. At least we know hell hasn’t frozen over completely with Kliff Kingsbury continuing to make boneheaded decisions that cost his team victories.

With no team separating itself from the pack early on, the division is currently there for the taking. Let’s put the future odds under the microscope at PointsBet Sportsbook and see if we can’t discover the answer to this riddle.

Bet NFC West Title Odds at PointsBet Sportsbook

Los Angeles Rams

I find it laughable that LA continues to be the choice of oddsmakers to be the last team standing in this division. I stated as such before the season even kicked off, and I stand by that thought right now through the first three weeks of the season. What of the team’s overall body of work to this point leads one to believe they’re the nuts in this division? The offense can’t run the ball (No. 30), and it only ranks out as the No. 15 ranked scoring offense due to the defense setting them up with short fields regularly by forcing seven takeaways (No. 4). While the defense has been stout against the run (No. 10), not even Jalen Ramsey has been able to save the pass defense which has been torched for over 250 yards per game (No. 23).

After taking an early 13-0 lead in last week’s showdown with the Cardinals in the desert, LA only managed a single score the rest of the way putting the onus on the defense to close it out. While Raheem Morris’ men did end up sealing the deal, there continue to be more questions than answers with this club. Come next week, I believe they’ll be looking up to the Niners in the standings. Best to wait and see if you think this team is still the cream of the division crop.

San Francisco 49ers

 Last we reported on the Niners, they dropped an ugly 19-10 decision in a monsoon against the Bears. Since then, Trey Lance broke his ankle and Jimmy G’s reign recommenced. He led the team to a divisional triumph over the Seahawks in Week 2, but ultimately cost his team a two-game win streak by stepping out of the end zone in the third quarter of last week’s game with the Broncos. Denver would go on to win that game by an 11-10 final count. While the offense is likely to start coming into its own as soon as this week against the Rams, it’s the defense that leads me to believe this is still the team to beat in not only the division but the NFC.

DeMeco Ryans has got this unit playing with its hair on fire right now with it conceding just over 12 points (No. 3) and 227 total yards per game (No. 2). With eight sacks accrued through three games and the pass defense ranking out as the best in the game, the future looks bright for this unit and anyone that rostered it on their fantasy team. That being said, the injury bug has once again been very unkind. The backfield was already a mess before Trent Williams went down with a high ankle sprain against Denver. His absence will make things even tougher for the offense, but I’m still bullish knowing full well the defense can still find a way to persevere and lead this team to a title.

With three of its next four games to come on the road with the only home game set to go against the Kansas City Chiefs, Monday night’s clash with the Rams could go a long way in deciding which of the division’s heavyweights actually goes on to seal the deal. I would suggest throwing some action down on the current rate of return if you think it’s the 49ers; like me!

Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury has leapfrogged Matt Rhule and is now the odds-on favorite to become the first head coach fired this season after his team managed one miracle win through its first three games. If not for that ridiculous overtime triumph in the desert, he might’ve already had his walking papers served. For a team that played a solid brand of defense and owned the second highest scoring offense in the division a season ago, the writing certainly looks to be on the wall with the Cardinals regressing terribly in both areas to this point.

The offense is scoring fewer than 21 points per game (No. 14), while the stop unit has conceded the league’s second-highest scoring output (29 PPG). Much of the latter has to do with getting zero pressure on opposing quarterbacks with Arizona amassing a grand total of two sacks through three games. If not for the offense only turning it over once, things would look even worse heading into this week’s road trip to Carolina. I wanted nothing to do with this lame duck team at the outset of the season, and that frame of mind hasn’t changed heading into Week 4.

Seattle Seahawks

Short and sweet. The Seahawks have no shot of winning the NFC West this season, and likely won’t be in the mix for a couple more. For years, Pete Carroll prided himself on being able to gash opponents with his running attack and then stonewall the opposition’s attempt to do the same on the other side of the ball. Well, Seattle ranks No. 29 rushing the ball and No. 31 trying to stop it. It’s pretty clear as day that a change of scenery is needed in the Pacific Northwest. Buy your kids something nice with any money you want to throw at this bottom feeder instead!