Ricky Dimon
We are less than a month away from the 2025 NFL regular season. Week 1 can’t come soon enough, but before it does we have time to preview all of the upcoming action and make our predictions and best bets.
Pickswise’s extensive coverage continues with a breakdown of the NFC West. This figures to be among the most competitive divisions in football. In fact, it is 1 of only 3 in which the favorite to win is priced at plus money (the San Francisco 49ers are +150 favorites). The Los Angeles Rams are the defending champions and they have split the last 4 NFC West crows with the 49ers at 2 apiece.
NFC West odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
San Francisco 49ers +150
Los Angeles Rams +195
Arizona Cardinals +425
Seattle Seahawks +550
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are trending in the right direction. After compiling a 4-13 record in 2023, they went 8-9 last year. It’s safe to say that head coach Jonathan Gannon’s second go-around showed massive improvement. It may not require a much bigger step in the right direction to win – or at the very least contend in – a seemingly up-for-grabs NFC West. Kyler Murray has plenty of weapons at his disposal, among them Marvin Harrison Jr., Zay Jones and James Conner. The defense looks underwhelming, but the addition of Calais Campbell brings veteran leadership that should not be underestimated.
Arizona Cardinals best bet: Over 8.5 wins (-125)
Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles has plenty of potential. We already saw that last season, when head coach Sean McVay’s squad was not too far away from a spot in the Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua are back to lead the offense, while a young and on-the-rise defense is highlighted by second-year defensive end Jared Verse. That being said, a lot of things have to go right. Stafford is 37 years old and already dealing with a back injury. Cooper Kupp is gone, having taken his talents to the division-rival Seahawks. Expectations are pretty high in Los Angeles…but probably too high.
Los Angeles Rams best bet: Under 10.5 wins (-165)
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San Francisco 49ers
Perhaps no team has a bigger gap between the ceiling and the floor than San Francisco. As recent seasons have proven, the 49ers always seem to have Super Bowl potential. At the same time, things can be really bad – as we saw last year in the form of a 6-11 record. Star running back Christian McCaffrey simply cannot stay healthy. Brock Purdy and George Kittle have also had their fair share of physical niggles. Deebo Samuel is gone, so the offense may not be quite as explosive even if everyone does stay healthy. Plenty of talent remains, but it would be fair to argue that the Super Bowl window has closed in San Fran.
San Francisco 49ers best bet: To not win the division (-185)
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith is out; Sam Darnold is in. Although it’s not like Smith’s departure is a huge loss, it’s hard to be super enthusiastic about Darnold’s arrival. Yes, the former USC standout played well in his last season with the Minnesota Vikings (35 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions), but he struggled mightily in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions with a division title on the line and he was almost as bad in round 1 of the playoffs (a 27-9 road loss to the Rams). Kupp is on board, but D.K. Metcalf is gone. The ‘Hawks missed the playoffs last year and I expect them to be worse in 2025.
Seattle Seahawks best bet: To miss the playoffs (-210)
NFC West division predictions
1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Seattle Seahawks
NFC West best bet: Arizona Cardinals to win the division (+425)
I can see pretty much anyone winning this division; I can also see anyone finishing last. Just about anything can happen in the wild NFC West. That, of course, means the value is on an underdog; there is no way I’m backing the favorite in this division. All things considered, the absolute best value is on the Cardinals. Gannon has this team going in the right direction, and he has a quarterback-receiver combo in Murray and Harrison that should no be underestimated.
