The San Francisco 49ers acquired sixth-year running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers for four NFL draft picks in a monumental trade that could take them to a Super Bowl championship.
Full Terms:
– That #49er Get star RB Christian McCaffrey.
– That #Panthers Get a second-round pick in 2023, a third-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2023. Plus a fifth-round pick in 2024.
Firmly.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2022
The move comes after the Panthers announced they would be selling McCaffrey to potential suitors – a sign that Carolina intends to start from scratch.
The 49ers currently lead the NFC West, but their 3-3 record after 6 weeks of action comes from playing below expectations and losing games to beatable opponents.
Their 3 losses are to the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons – franchises that a true Super Bowl contender should easily overcome.
Adding an asset like McCaffrey to an NFL team will improve its odds of winning week by week, but should punters rush to the sportsbook to bet the San Francisco 49ers go all the way?
Super Bowl 57 odds
- Buffalo Bill’s +275
- Philly Eagles +550
- Kansas City Chiefs +800
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +900
- San Francisco 49ers +1400
The 49ers are now the fifth team overall in Super Bowl LVII betting odds. While this doesn’t sound like a surefire indicator of a championship, bettors should note that the only teams ranking ahead of them are elite SB contenders.
While Christian McCaffrey’s arrival is certainly the reason San Francisco has climbed up the list of potential Super Bowl winners, their betting futures are up just 200 points since last season.
That’s because San Francisco was rated very early based on expectations for their second-year QB Trey Lance. When Lance was out for the season with a right ankle injury, her chances of success slipped a bit in 2022-23.
Now, with the addition of McCaffrey to the 49ers’ lineup, they’ve risen back to top contender status, but are they worth betting on?
One element supporting San Francisco at the moment is the lackluster play of their NFC West Division peers. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are struggling to stay afloat.
The Seattle Seahawks are going crazy, with Geno Smith replacing Russell Wilson at quarterback, but NFL oddsmakers don’t think their success will last for the duration of the season.
NFC West Odds
- San Francisco 49ers-135
- Los Angeles Rams +175
- Arizona Cardinals +900
- Seattle Seahawks +1400
The 49ers have gained the most ground in NFL futures odds for the NFC West title. In preseason NFC West futures, San Francisco took second place with a +150 moneyline to win the division.
As of this morning, the 49ers have improved their standing on the moneyline odds by 285 points and are now the dominant favorite to win the NFC West and earn a spot in the top four playoffs in the National Football Conference.
The only question now is – can Christian McCaffrey stay sane? He’s struggled to stay in the lineup and hasn’t played a full season since 2019.
McCaffrey’s health makes betting on the San Francisco 49ers incredibly risky right now. But that’s what sports betting is all about, so put some action on their Super Bowl futures or division props if you think they’ll win this entire season before the odds makers get smart.
Yahoo! Sports—Bovada