The 49ers haven't had an easy offseason, but oddsmakers are still bullish on San Francisco having a successful 2025 campaign.
Understandably, the sentiment surrounding the San Francisco 49ers for much of the offseason has been one of doom and gloom, highlighted by a significant list of player departures that are the net result of cost-saving measures and a desire to get younger after last year's 6-11 campaign.
Cornerstone players like wide receiver Deebo Samuel, cornerback Charvarius Ward, safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw are gone now, among others, and there are far more positions with question marks than not.
Especially the defensive line, once a heralded San Francisco strength.
While it's not an all-out rebuild, the Niners' "reconstruct" leads many to believe 2025 will be a transition year, one that'll focus more on quarterback Brock Purdy shouldering a bigger load after he receives a lucrative contract extension, as well as a pending influx of potentially 11 drafted rookies to be selected this April.
Not all those first-year pros will hit, though, meaning San Francisco is probably going to be a sub-.500 team again, right?
Well, maybe not.
49ers still have best odds to win NFC West
It might seem counterintuitive, but the 49ers are actually favored to win the NFC West in 2025.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Niners have +140 odds to win the division, trailed by the Los Angeles Rams at +210. The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals take third and fourth place with odds of +470 and +490, respectively.
This means head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad will be a playoff team, one that actually boasts the third-best odds (+800) to win the conference, trailing only the Detroit Lions (+490) and the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles (+320).
San Francisco's odds are unquestionably aided by what'll be a last-place schedule this upcoming season after finishing there a year ago. Plus, despite the losses, the 49ers still boast plenty of talent that includes an All-Pro cast of players like running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.
It's not as if the Niners are wholly devoid of playmakers, plus the return of coordinator Robert Saleh is widely regarded as a massive boost for the defense.
Predictions are usually wrong, though, so it'll be provocative to see just how accurate the oddsmakers' takes are on San Francisco's upcoming campaign.
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