The NFL released the 2011 schedule last week, which means we have a complete idea of when and where the 49ers will be playing in the upcoming season. We don’t know when that schedule will occur given the current labor dispute, but we at least have a framework. The release of the schedule means the folks in Las Vegas and on sports betting websites can start setting odds for a variety of events, including the 2012 Super Bowl and week one of the 2011 NFL season.
The folks at Bodog.com released their 2012 Super Bowl odds immediately after the conclusion of Super Bowl XLV. However, they’ve since updated the odds due to the release of the 2011 NFL schedule. As things currently stand, the San Francisco 49ers are sitting at 40/1 to win the Super Bowl. That puts them on par with the Oakland raiders and the St. Louis Rams. The rest of the NFC West has the Arizona Cardinals at 75/1 and the Seattle Seahawks at 80/1.
Bettorsworld.com has also released their odds for the first week of the 2011 NFL regular season. According to those odds, the 49ers are three point favorites at home against the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers were actually three point favorites heading into last year’s opener up in Seattle and we all know how that one turned out. It’s going to be hard to accurately predict much of anything (without a lot of luck) given the new coaching staff and offensive and defensive changes in store for the 49ers.