49ers odds news: San Francisco has double-digit over-under in 2020

With the 2020 NFL schedule released, the San Francisco 49ers are projected to have double-digit wins, as their odds suggest. But the odds could be harder to project than in 2019.

A good chunk of odds makers had the San Francisco 49ers‘ over-under odds in 2019 at eight games.

With a 13-3 record, those who bet the over were likely pretty happy.

The 2020 NFL schedule was released last week, and the Niners currently own the fourth toughest strength of schedule, based on opponents’ win-loss records from a year ago, according to CBS Sports. So while the updated over-under totals still suggest San Francisco will be good again this year, the hopes for a 12- or 13-win season might be a bit premature at the moment.

Just after the schedule was announced, The Action Network got to work placing the most updated over-under numbers for each team around the league.

For the 49ers? It’s 10.5 games.

Assuming the Niners being tabbed between 10 and 11 wins this season might appear to be a proverbial “slap to the face” of the defending NFC champions. And it would coincide with FanSided.com’s Matt Verderame’s prediction San Francisco will go 10-6 this upcoming season, make the playoffs before being eliminated in the Wild Card round.

Indeed, some could buy into this for a number of reasons. The Niners lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner via a trade to the Indianapolis Colts, then let wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders walk in free agency, before replacing both with first-round rookies in the NFL Draft, South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw and Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, respectively.

Are the 49ers better already in 2020 than they were a year ago? Probably not. But that’s not exactly the goal here. Instead, staying as close to their 2019 level should suffice.

On the surface, it would appear a 10.5-win over-under wouldn’t back that up. Yet it’s the same ranking assigned to the New Orleans Saints, perhaps San Francisco’s top competition in the conference, and only the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs (both ranked at 11.5 over-under wins) are higher.

So maybe it’s not that big of a slap in the face after all.

In 2019, the Niners far exceeded the expectation many odds makers placed on them prior to that year kicking off. While it could be tough for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad to reach last year’s 13-win season again in 2020, perhaps looking at the over wouldn’t be too bad an idea.

Especially if you’re one of the optimistic Faithful out there.