2022 NFC West Division Odds, Preview and Predictions

The 2022 NFL Regular Season will be kicking off in three weeks, with the pride of the NFC West Division and the defending Super Bowl champion Rams welcoming the Bills to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA on Thursday, September 8 (NBC, 8:20 ET/7:20 CT/5:20 PT).

So, this is one of the two toughest Divisions in the NFL—the AFC North is the other—and even with a 7-0 start in the 2021-22 NFL Regular Season, Kyler Murray and Arizona +120 to win 2022 NFC West Division finished with a 11-6 record and in 2nd place in the West.

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals (+325 to win 2022 NFC West Division) are the third Favorite, followed by the division ‘s longshot, the Seattle Seahawks (14/1), so this could be a three-team race with maybe just one game separating 1st and 2nd place again.

It’s definitely the division where the defending Super Bowl champion Rams sleep, and at 11/1 betting odds, Los Angeles is definitely worth some consideration.

FINAL: The @RamsNFL win Super Bowl LVI in LA! #SBLVI #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/o69uCPhaJC

— NFL (@NFL) February 14, 2022

NFC West Division Odds

The Rams (Chargers), 49ers (Packers), and Cardinals (Bengals) all won in NFL Preseason Week 1 while the Seahawks (Steelers) lost, so expect this division to finish in the black again and maybe send a team to the NFC Championship again come January.

Let’s look at the divisional odds before the new season kicks off and make some NFC West Division predictions, knowing that there will be six key games between these three better teams (Home, Road) and a Non-Conference slate which also affect who ultimately wins.

Although the NFC West Division Odds point toward a repeat, you can count out San Francisco (+775 to win the NFC) and Arizona (18/1 to win NFC) at your own risk.

The NFC West Division predictions will be premised under a “toss out the rebuilding Seahawks” perspective with thoughts of the big divisional games. Can the 49ers win in Los Angeles and can the Road Warrior Cardinals keep winning on the Road? Probably not.

But the quirky nature of statistics reveals that the NFC West’s three stronger teams—the Rams, Cards, and Niners—were all fairly average at Home (12-12 combined) yet extremely impressive on the Road (23-6), so it’s hard not to think that this is the NFL’s best division.

Los Angeles Rams +130

Despite winning the Super Bowl, the Rams (460 PF-372) didn’t play as well as they could and are still an evolving team with Stafford getting used to Lalaland after playing in Detroit so long and some Injuries to key Receivers before and during Super Bowl LVI.

Now OBJ is a Free Agent, and his return to the Rams is in question, with oddsmakers making the former LSU star a 2/1 betting favorite to ultimately return to the Rams, although maybe remembering that the Artificial Matrix Turf did him some harm.

The potential loss of OBJ can be overcome as Los Angeles signed talented WR Allen Robinson II (Bears) in the Offseason, and have Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Jacob Harris, Brandon Powell, Landen Akers, and a Rookie who just might make the cut.

After signing as an undrafted Free Agent by Los Angeles, the Rams actually waived McCutcheon on May 17, only to sign him one day later and now run the risk of other teams snatching him up after seeing his impressive performance against the Chargers.

“He’s a very realistic candidate to make this roster,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said.

And of course, the Rams have the best player in the NFL in WR Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), who was also impressed with fellow Big Sky player McCutcheon’s big game where he showed he has great hands and can outjump opponents for the football.

Kupp opened as the co-favorite (7/1) in the 2022 NFL Most Receiving Yards market, and if the Rams somehow repeat as NFL champs, you know that the 6-2, 208-pound Kupp will be right in the middle of it and nobody’s better at pitch-and-catch than Stafford and Kupp.

Lance McCutcheon shined in his preseason debut, and Sean McVay certainly won’t rule out keeping him on the 53-man roster https://t.co/HK7NHWUnlw

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 16, 2022

San Francisco 49ers +175

The NFC West Division Odds seem kind to the 49ers (16/1 to in Super Bowl) with the franchise tying its wagons to Trey Lance as its starting QB over Jimmy Garoppolo who San Francisco (+775 to win 2022 NFC Conference) is currently trying to shop around.

The Niners were 6-3 away from Frisco but just 4-4 at Home, so the two biggest NFC West divisional games for SF will come Monday, October 3 when the SB champ Rams visit The City By The Bay and when the Cardinals come to town on Sunday, January 8 in Week 18.

But the Niners will have to be a much better football team at Home, overcome some key Injuries, be better in the Turnover differential category (-4 in 2021), and hope that Lance can evolve as a QB the way the franchise envisioned when drafting him out of Ohio State.

So beating the Seahawks in both meetings, upsetting either (or both) the Rams and Cardinals on the Road and performing well against tough Non-Conference opponents like the Chiefs (October 23), Buccaneers (December 1), and Raiders (January 1) will matter.

JUUUUICE 🧃

The offensive weapon is back in the #NFLTop100 for a 2nd consecutive year. @JuiceCheck44

📺: NFL Top 100, #100 – #51 — on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ra3b5lMGEK

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 15, 2022

Arizona Cardinals +325

Last season the Cardinals were 8-1 on the Road and started 7-0 but still had a disappointing season and NFC West Division Odds reveal that oddsmakers like the two California teams more heading in than the Cards who used to play in St. Louis and Chicago.

Icon Larry Fitzgerald is gone for good and with the 6-game suspension of crucial WR DeAndre Hopkins, it’s no wonder the current NFC West Division Odds show the NFL team with the best start last season is only the third favorite in their own division.

One huge problem seems to be the schedule, which sees the Cardinals (18/1 to win the NFC) first three games hosting the Chiefs in Week 1 (CBS, 4:25 ET/1:25 PT), at the Raiders in Week 2 (CBS, 4:25 ET/1:25 PT) and vs. those Rams in Week 3 (FOX, 4:25 ET/1:25 PT).

And remembering they went 4-6 in their last 10 after that perfect 7-0 start can’t be sitting well with this team which will have to be much better at State Farm Stadium in Glendale where they went a disappointing 3-5 last season, losing to the Rams and lowly Seattle.

Bringing the heat to #HardKnocks 🔥

Coming this November on HBO/HBO Max pic.twitter.com/z1dDLN4G76

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 23, 2022

Seattle Seahawks +1400

Post-Russell Wilson Seattle (395 PF-366 PA) and the Seahawks (150/1 to win Super Bowl LVII) were once the team to beat in the NFC West with the best Defense in the NFL, but those days are gone and now the other three teams in the Division have strong Defenses.

The Seahawks (40/1 to win NFC) went 4-5 on the road and beat the Cardinals in Glendale, but only had a 3-5 mark at home in the Emerald City, so even though this may be the best division in the NFL.

Seattle closed the 2021-22 NFL Regular Season with a 2-game win streak, but looking at the Seahawks schedule, we see a Week 6-17 stretch that sees the Rams and Cardinals twice, the Chargers, the Buccaneers, the Raiders, and the Chiefs, so best of luck baby.

Yes, RB Rashaad Perry (749 yards), WR Tyler Lockett (1,175 yards) and Seattle will get the Giants in Week 8, the Panthers in Week 14, and the Jets in Week 17, but all that Travel and all that pressure means it will be hard for the Seahawks to finish above the .500 mark.

Top Flight Security! 🔒 @qdiggs6 pic.twitter.com/DWIyOYRi9j

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 11, 2022

NFC West Division Prediction

Online oddsmakers have more faith in the 49ers than I do and San Francisco’s desire to trade such a talented QB like Jimmy Garroppolo (Eastern Illinois) in an age when 2nd-string backup—and even 3rd stringers—matter so much is mind boggling to me.

Nate Sudfeld (Indiana) and Brock Purdy (Iowa State) are currently the No. 2 and 3 backups on the Niners QB Depth Chart, so if Lance suffers an injury or underperforms, this team could be in a world of hurt and wish it had Jimmy G to turn to.

That’s a combined record of 36-15 (70.6%) in the best Football league on the planet, so perhaps that one overthrown ball in the Super Bowl and the Niners losing may have unfairly stained his name and it seems that most Niners fans also want him gone.

So, these current NFC West Division Odds seem a little off to me and the Cardinals seem just as strong as SF does so we will see. Still, it seems the Rams are the class of the division and will repeat as champions and find a way to again get to the NFC Championship Game.

BetOnline also serves up a unique NFC West Division Betting Odds Prop, “Will the Los Angeles Rams Win the NFC West Division” (Yes +120, No -160), so if you like the Rams to win, it makes more sense to play them in the Division Winner market for that 10-cent difference.

Seattle fans or bettors hoping the Seahawks (14/1) can shock the division as a longshot need to remember that their QB is Geno Smith while the Rams have Stafford, the 49ers have Lance, and the Cardinals have Murray. And no one has to travel farther than Seattle.

The Rams are the best team in the NFL, proved it and may be even stronger and not only have a new stadium and a solid fan base, but the best Offensive player in the NFL (Kupp) as well as the best Defensive player in the league (Donald) and both are still hungry.