The 49ers’ vast improvement over the last few seasons can be illustrated in a variety of ways. One of the ways their increased expectations have manifested is in the preseason win totals set by sports books. San Francisco’s initial over/under win total for 2020 is set at 10.5 wins at sports betting site BetMGM.
Their last few seasons the win totals have been set around eight wins or below. This year only the Chiefs (11.5) and Ravens (11) have higher over/unders than the 49ers.
This is the type of expectation that comes with being the reigning NFC champion coming off a 13-win season. Double digit wins is supposed to be the norm now, even with injuries and a bad bounce of the ball or two. Books set the numbers in hopes of getting equal action on both sides.
10.5 wins is a good number because it’s not difficult to see the team finishing on either side of it.
It’ll be interesting to see how the 49ers bounce back from their Super Bowl loss. They’ll likely be facing a tougher schedule, and they’re a prime candidate for regression in the win column considering how many close games they pulled out last year. It wouldn’t be shocking if they had a couple close games go the wrong way and they found themselves looking at 10 wins to close the year.
The good news for the 49ers and anyone betting on the over is that they’ll have a majority of their starting lineup back on both sides of the ball. San Francisco should be in line to win more than 10 games even with a step backward that allows for another loss or two. While the path to another 13-plus win season seems narrow, it’s not out of the question. Even if the defense takes a dip in productivity after a historic first half of last season, the offense should be trending in the other direction and picking up some of that slack.
The 2020 season is set to be among the most fascinating in recent memory for the 49ers, and the early indications say the expectations will be as high as they’ve been in nearly 10 years.
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