49ers 2011 Season Odds
(The Spread) – The 49ers hope that Jim Harbaugh can do the same thing for them as he just did at Stanford: Win.
After the coaching debacle that was Mike Singletary, the 49ers wanted to add more stability at the head coach position, which is why they hired Harbaugh this offseason. He successfully turned Stanford’s football program around and Niners truly believe that he can do the same for them over time.
Oddsmakers don’t appear to have a lot of faith in a quick turnaround, however. They list the Niners as 45/1 long shots to win the 2012 Super Bowl and 22/1 long shots to win the NFC. That said, the 49ers and Rams have the best odds to win the NFC West Division this year at +185, respectively. The division is incredibly weak, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that ‘Frisco will make an appearance in this year’s playoffs.
View Current 2012 Super Bowl Odds
But for that to happen, they’ll need more consistent play out of quarterback Alex Smith, whom the Niners re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason. The team drafted quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second round this April and view him as the future. But for now, Smith has one last opportunity to live up to his No. 1 overall status.
‘Frisco gave him some help this offseason by signing receiver Braylon Edwards and adding safeties Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and Madieu Williams to the secondary. They also inked cornerback Carlos Rogers (Redskins) to a deal, re-signed Ray McDonald and nabbed pass-rusher Aldon Smith (Missouri) in the first round.
Will all of these offseason moves be enough? We’ll find out soon enough but if Smith once again comes up short of expectations, the Niners will once again find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs this year.
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