There is a lot of optimism around the 49ers going into the 2025 season.
The 49ers have endured a difficult training camp and preseason from an injury perspective, with a host of players going down, especially at the wide receiver position, where their options are growing increasingly thin.
Despite those familiar issues striking the Niners once again, San Francisco is still a heavy favorite to bounce back from last season’s 6-11 finish and return to the postseason. Indeed, the 49ers are given odds of -196 to make the playoffs by FanDuel Sportsbook. Those odds put the 49ers’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs at 62.8%.
Among NFC teams, only the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles have shorter odds to reach the postseason.
49ers being underrated
The odds echo the forecast made by The Athletic’s Austin Mock, who projects the 49ers to win 10.4 games, just behind the Eagles (10.9) at the top of the NFC. However, Mock’s projection suggests the oddsmakers underrate the Niners. He gives San Francisco a 73.3% chance to make the playoffs.
Much of the optimism surrounding the 49ers right now is tied to the schedule, which is the easiest in the league. After a tricky start on the road in Seattle, the 49ers’ next three games are against teams that had a losing record in 2024.
Overall, the 49ers face just three teams who made the playoffs last season (Rams, Buccaneers, and Texans) and, adding in the Seahawks, only four who posted a winning record.
Yet San Francisco’s ability to justify the optimism surrounding the team may well come down to their record inside the NFC West, which is likely to again be a competitive division. The 49ers went 1-5 inside the division last season, and they can ill-afford a repeat of that performance if they are to realize their playoff ambitions.
49ers’ luck looks primed to change
Four of those defeats to division rivals in 2024 were one-score games, with the 49ers going 2-6 in contests decided by one score over the course of the campaign. Even a slight improvement of their fortunes in those games would put the Niners in a strong spot to make the playoffs.
There are reasons to be concerned about the 49ers, who, on top of starting the season with a decimated wide receiver corps, have questions on both sides of the trenches and about their depth in the secondary.
Still, this is a team that is elevated by its stars. Much depends on health, but if the likes of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner stay healthy, then the 49ers’ floor should be high enough to ensure they take advantage of a very friendly schedule.
With a finish that sees them face the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns and then — after a bye — the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and the Seahawks over the final six games, the Niners are a smart bet to put last year behind them and make the dance once again.
FanDuel Sportsbook is conducting FanDuel Futures Day on Tuesday, August 26, where you can get profit boost tokens around various futures markets throughout the day. The markets will be split up throughout the day, but they will include odds to win the Super Bowl and hypothetical Super Bowl matchups, odds to make or miss the playoffs, win totals, division winners, and player milestones. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook on Tuesday to take advantage of FanDuel Futures Day.
Category: General Sports
