NFC West Division prediction, odds: Super Bowl champs an enticing bet

As we wait for training camp to begin in the NFL, we're taking a look around the league the next two weeks to see how divisional odds shake out, along with the futures bets we like the most.

The NFC West has been considered to be one of the toughest divisions in football for a few years now. That reputation was upheld this past season when two of their own met in the NFC Championship Game, with one going on to win the Super Bowl.

To Win the NFC West Betting Odds

1. Los Angeles Rams (+125 DK)
2. San Francisco 49ers (+200 FD)
3. Arizona Cardinals (+400 DK)
4. Seattle Seahawks (+1800 DK)

The Rams are geared up for another run at a ring and will be a tough out all season long. San Francisco has a talented roster, but potentially handing the reins to a young quarterback in Trey Lance brings about some uncertainty in 2022.

It feels like the Cardinals have been steeped in drama all offseason, and Arizona has now developed a habit of starting hot and fading fast in back-to-back years. Then there's Seattle, fresh off trading their franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson. The Seahawks will need a few years to regain some footing in this division.

Seattle Seahawks: What to expect

Russell Wilson dealt with a lingering injury for much of 2021, the catalyst behind a 7-10 regular season and last-place finish in the NFC West.

Wilson is now in Denver, and Seattle is left with some serious question marks at quarterback. In no world can we sanely bet a future on the Seahawks winning this stacked division, especially not with Geno Smith or Drew Lock running the offense.

This is going to be a rough year for the Seahawks, who I feel better betting on to get the first overall pick than I do betting them to win the NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals: What to expect

Here's what we know about Arizona at this point. DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for six games due to a PED issue. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals had an offseason contract dance that led to unnecessary social media distractions for the team and passer. Arizona has now had two straight seasons of hot starts that have led to nothing.

The Cardinals are a solid team, and in a weak NFC they should certainly be competing for a playoff spot once again. However, there's just something about this franchise that feels like success will never be reached. This is just one writer's opinion, but I can't put my faith behind this team in any form. At +400 to win the NFC West, the public is in agreement that a division title is unlikely.

Murray is supremely talented. I do believe in him as a quarterback, but the shenanigans pulled by him and his representation this offseason just felt childish to me. I sense a wedge dividing between team and player, and with Hopkins now out for a crucial six-game stretch to begin the year, I worry this offense doesn't have enough juice to compete. Christian Kirk is gone, A.J. Green is getting old and Zach Ertz is getting old.

I don't see it, and I'm not betting on Arizona here. The one positive I can share about Arizona is that they did do well in this division last year, going 4-2, the best mark of all four teams. 

San Francisco 49ers: What to expect

San Francisco finished 10-7 last season and won two playoff games before falling to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. Many forgot that this 49ers team made the Super Bowl in 2019 and suffered a ridiculous amount of injuries in 2020 that led to season-long struggles.

Back healthy, the 49ers picked up where they left off, and this lineup is certainly one of the NFC's best, if you look at every position besides QB.

The 49ers invested quite a bit into trading up for Lance at No. 3 in last year's draft. The quarterback out of North Dakota State didn't see much action in 2021, but the expectation is that this is his team moving forward.

I'm intrigued by what Lance can do, but am I going to put a +200 future on the 49ers to win this division with the unknown Lance brings to the table? No, I am not. I'd rather put a future on Lance to win MVP, but that's for another article.

Hopefully San Francisco can work out their contract issues with Deebo Samuel, who solidified himself as a star on the offensive end.

I think this is a very good team with great players all over the place. If they were closer to +300 to win the NFC West, I'd dabble. But I can't at these odds.

Los Angeles Rams: What to expect

That leaves us with the Los Angeles Rams, the winners of Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals. There's every reason to believe the Rams can compete for another championship.

After a brief retirement scare from Aaron Donald, his return solidified that this defense maintains most of their production from this past year.

The Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection was an instant boon for the Rams offense, and newly-acquired Allen Robinson II offers a nice replacement for departing Robert Woods. If you've read up to this point, I think we can keep this section simple.

I don't believe in the other three teams so much that the only logical conclusion is the betting favorite in Los Angeles. I'm comfortable with +125. The Rams went 12-5 last season, winning the division, and I expect a step back from the Cardinals, who finished a game back of L.A.

My pick has been made for me, and it's not just a process of elimination, I really do believe in this team. That isn't that bold of a take to say about the defending champs, but it's enough for me. I'm betting the Rams to win the NFC West at +125.