49ers Open as 1.5-Point Week 1 Road Favorites over Seahawks

Despite a rocky offseason, the oddsmakers still believe in the 49ers.

San Francisco will open its season on the road in Seattle against the Seattle Seahawks who have one of the biggest homefield advantages in the NFL. And yet, the 49ers are 1.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Keep in mind, oddsmakers aren't necessarily football experts. They reflect the betting public's perception of the teams, and the betting public views the 49ers as an elite group when healthy. That's why they were favored in most games last season even though they ended up finishing 6-11.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks are in flux after replacing Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf with Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. Lots of analysts think they got worse this offseason after finishing 10-7 in 2024. That's why the 49ers are favored. People think they know what to expect from them while the Seahawks are more of a mystery.

Keep in mind, these teams faced each other Week 11 last season and the Seahawks won 20-17 in Santa Clara. Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey played in that game and the 49ers still lost. Now, the 49ers offense is weaker after losing Aaron Banks and Jordan Mason.

To be fair, the 49ers added Robert Saleh back to their coaching staff, and he's an elite defensive coordinator. But he'll have to start roughly five rookies Week 1, and they might struggle at first. Meanwhile, the Seahawks just hired Klint Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator, and he was on the 49ers' staff in 2023. He's a big upgrade over Ryan Grubb.

I would not be surprised if the 49ers lost this game. It's never easy to win in Seattle.