The NFC West was the worst division in football just a few seasons ago as the Seattle Seahawks topped the standings with a 7-9 record in 2010. However, heading into the 2013 season, it may be the league's strongest division. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are both considered Super Bowl contenders and the St. Louis Rams, who finished 7-8-1 overall and 4-1-1 in division play last year, are considered an up and coming team. That should make for an interesting season out West, especially with the growing animosity between the Niners and Seahawks. The latest 2013 NFC West Odds from The Greek do expect San Francisco to successfully defend its division title, though. The 49ers are a -125 moneyline favorite to win the NFC West while the Seahawks are a close second at +100 odds ($100 wins $100). The Rams are a third pick at +900 odds and the Arizona Cardinals are last, by a large margin, with a +3000 listing ($100 wins $3000).
San Francisco 49ers (-125): The 49ers have won 24 regular season games over the last two years and they are 3-2 in postseason play with two trips to the NFC Championship Game. There were some losses in the offseason with Alex Smith being shipped to Kansas City and Michael Crabtree going down with a ruptured Achilles tendon; however, San Francisco is still the team to beat in the West and the NFC.
Seattle Seahawks (+100): While the Niners are loaded, they could fall to Seattle, and, frankly, there would be no shame in that. The Seahawks owned the best defense in the league a season ago (15.3 points per game allowed) and their offense improved dramatically down the stretch, posting 170 points over the final four weeks of the regular season.
St. Louis Rams (+900): The Rams are a long shot to win the NFC West, but they may be the best pick from a value standpoint. Jeff Fisher is a proven coach and the talent level in St. Louis is not significantly below what exists in San Francisco and Seattle. The Rams proved that last season by winning four of their six division games.
Arizona Cardinals (+3000): Arizona will not win the NFC West this year, but it should be dramatically improved nonetheless. The Cardinals added a lot of players in the offseason, but the most important acquisition was quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer gives the team a legitimate presence under center, something the franchise has not had since Kurt Warner retired.
2013 NFC West Odds:
San Francisco 49ers -125
Seattle Seahawks +100
St. Louis Rams +900
Arizona Cardinals +3000
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