Winless 49ers Could Still Win NFC West

Don't count Frank Gore and the Niners out just yet

Looking for a NFL futures bet with some solid value?

How about the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC West? And no, we haven’t been out snowboarding with Ross Rebagliati.

Despite starting out the season with five straight losses, the 49ers still have a realistic shot at winning their division. Their chances of doing so are certainly better than the +550 odds they’re getting at Bodog.ca.

First of all, consider how weak the NFC West is.

Arizona currently holds the lead with a 3-2 record, but the Cardinals have major issues. Max Hall, the third quarterback on the depth chart in training camp, is now their starting pivot after Arizona released Matt Leinart and benched Derek Anderson.

Seattle and St. Louis, who went a combined 6-26 last year, round out the group. They’re a combined 4-5 so far this season, but obviously are still at least a year or two away from playoff contention.

This could be the worst division in NFL history, meaning an 8-8 or even 7-9 record might be good enough to win it.

The 49ers, preseason favourites to win the West, are certainly capable of that.

San Fran has been snakebitten so far this year. The Niners started the season with a bad effort in Seattle, but since then have lost tight games to the Saints, Falcons and Eagles – all legitimate playoff contenders. The loss at Atlanta was particularly painful as San Fran looked to have the game won until Nate Clements fumbled in the last two minutes.

And the rest of the Niners’ schedule isn’t exactly daunting.

Nine of their remaining 11 games are against teams that will likely miss the playoffs, beginning with the Raiders this weekend. In fact, the only games San Francisco probably won’t be favoured to win are Dec. 5 at Green Bay and Dec. 16 at San Diego.

We’re not saying that the 49ers will definitely win the NFC West. But, at +550 odds, it might be worth a shot.