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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after beating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field as we look at our NFC West betting picks.
Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after beating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images/AFP.

The San Francisco 49ers are in a prime position to reclaim the top spot in the NFC West. However, the Seattle Seahawks are steadily narrowing the gap. Can they keep up the momentum? And what about the Los Angeles Rams – will they bounce back? Let’s explore these questions in our NFC West betting preview using the top sports betting apps.

Recency bias might lead us to think that the San Francisco 49ers were a dominant force in the NFC West in 2026, with their talented group poised to continue their success in 2026.

After starting off at 3-4, the team was just average. However, everything changed when Christian McCaffrey joined the team, leading them to a winning streak until multiple quarterbacks were injured during the NFC title game. Now, McCaffrey is in San Francisco for the beginning of the season, and the quarterback room has been strengthened with Brock Purdy and Trey Lance returning from injury, and Sam Darnold being added to the mix.

The Niners are a talented and dominant team in their division and are considered a strong contender in the conference. However, the Seahawks have made significant improvements to their defense and added a promising wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while the Rams still have a solid veteran core that makes them a formidable opponent.

Additionally, the Arizona Cardinals are a member of the NFC West division.

Take a look at our 2026 NFC West preview for betting, which is based on odds from top NFL betting sites (pick confidence rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars).

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NFC West betting preview 2026

San Francisco 49ers to win NFC West (-160 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Team to win divisionDraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
49ers-160-165-164-200❄️-175
Seahawks+195+200+195+220+220
Rams+1000+1000+900+850❄️+900
Cardinals+2500+2700+2500+2700+2500

The Seahawks pose the biggest threat to the 49ers in the NFC West, but are expected to come up short in the end.

While the Seahawks have historically given San Francisco a tough challenge, especially at Lumen Field, they have made significant defensive improvements to address their league-worst run defense. However, concerns remain about their defense, particularly their pass rush led by Uchenna Nwosu and Darrel Taylor, who only managed to tally 9.5 sacks in 2026.

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Despite some uncertainty at a key position, the 49ers are still well-equipped with a strong offense and a formidable defense. They recently led the league in points allowed at 16.3 per game, while also ranking sixth in points scored with 26.5 per outing.

With McCaffery set to complete his first full season in 2026, the team hopes he can stay healthy after playing four complete campaigns in six years. After being acquired before the trade deadline last season, McCaffery averaged 110 yards from scrimmage for the 49ers.

George Kittle Over 5.5 receiving touchdowns (+110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

George Kittle finds immense pleasure in forcing defenders to closely inspect the turf beneath them. His playing style can be likened to that of a father desperately searching for his keys while ushering his children out the door, bulldozing through any obstacles in his way.

The combination of a punishing spirit, soft hands, and precise route running frequently leads to significant yardage gains, as evidenced by three seasons with over 900 yards. However, the 49ers often rely on Kittle’s exceptional run-blocking skills near the goal line, which can limit his scoring opportunities. In 2026, this dynamic shifted with the emergence of Purdy, a rookie who quickly formed a strong connection with Kittle.

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Purdy took over as the starting quarterback for San Francisco in the last five games of the 2026 season, throwing a total of 170 passes. During that time, Kittle scored seven touchdowns, setting a new single-season career high. He ended the season with 11 receiving touchdowns, tying for third in the league. Now, the Purdy-Kittle connection will kick off the season in Week 1.

In 2026, Kittle and Aiyuk led the 49ers with 24.6% of the team’s red-zone targets each.

Cooper Kupp to record 1,500-plus receiving yards (+300 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Kupp is the essential component of a fragile Los Angeles Rams offense. He will be the focal point, especially during garbage-time situations, as the team will likely need to make numerous comeback attempts.

The elusive Pro Bowler, who narrowly missed breaking a single-season record with 1,947 receiving yards, was named Offensive Player of the Year just one season ago. Despite sustaining a season-ending ankle injury, he continued his impressive performance in 2026 by achieving five games with over 100 receiving yards in just nine contests.

In 2026, Kupp was on track to surpass the 1,500-yard mark again with an average of 90.2 yards per game. With Allen Robinson no longer on the team, Kupp now has the opportunity to receive even more targets, as he was already getting an impressive 10.9 looks per game last season. This put him ahead of NFL target leader Justin Jefferson. In 2021, Kupp led the NFL in targets with 191, significantly more than any other receiver (the next highest was 169 targets).

D.K. Metcalf Over 73.5 receptions (-112 via FanDuel)

Metcalf faced numerous obstacles in 2026, with the Seahawks’ offense undergoing significant changes after Russell Wilson’s departure and remaining focused on the running game.

However, Metcalf managed to achieve a career single-season high of 90 receptions.

It took some time for him to develop chemistry with new quarterback Geno Smith. However, the NFL’s dynamic receiver quickly returned to his role as the primary target. He was targeted 10 or more times in five games, finishing tied for 12th in the league with 141 targets.

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That was also a career high, and with the addition of the talented first-round receiver Smith-Njigba, Metcalf’s target volume may decrease slightly. However, he is such a big target that he is hard to ignore, and his versatility allows him to excel in both catching passes in the middle and beating defensive backs deep on the outside. This is why the Over has been successful on his receptions total in three out of his four seasons.

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