49ers' Betting Guide Ahead of 2022 NFL Season

The San Francisco 49ers are set to kick off their three-game preseason slate Friday night against the Green Bay Packers.

It's exciting enough that there will once again be football on our TVs, but the fact that it means regular-season action is right around the corner is the best part.

For those who enjoy placing a wager or two on football, it also means the most fun stretch on the gambling calendar is upon us. Preseason football can be risky when it comes to betting since there are so many variables when it comes to the exhibition games.

But the preseason does mark a good time to lock in some season-long bets.

For 49ers fans or people who just have strong thoughts on the team, there are plenty of options to go with.

Here, we'll take a look at the team-specific lines including the Niners chances to win the division, their season win total and a few player props.

All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

The 49ers are not the favorites to win the NFC West. That distinction belongs to the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

But the margin isn't wide. Sean McVay's squad is listed at +125, while the Cardinals face longer odds at +400 and the Seattle Seahawks are a distant fourth at +1800.

The tight odds are fitting given how close the division race was last season. The Rams ended up taking it with a 12-5 record, but the Cards were just a game back at 11-6 and the 49ers were just behind at 10-7.

There's reason to believe both the Rams and Cardinals will have a hard time repeating their success from 2021.

The Rams lost Von Miller this offseason, and Matthew Stafford has struggled with an elbow injury in camp. The Cardinals collapsed down the stretch last season, and now they'll have to go through the first six games without DeAndre Hopkins while he serves a suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. They also lost Chandler Jones in free agency.

The Seahawks are obviously in the middle of rebuilding after trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos.

Then again, the Niners have questions of their own as they transition to Trey Lance at quarterback. However, the other pieces of the puzzle remain mostly intact from last year's squad.

How you feel about this bet likely depends on what you think of Lance in his first year as the starter.

The oddsmakers are putting the team's win total at exactly where they finished last season.

So the essential question for this wager is whether this team is any better (or worse) than it was last season. Once again, the answer likely hinges on Trey Lance and his development.

The Niners showed what the offense could be with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. They finished seventh in ESPN's offensive efficiency, second in yards per play and 13th in scoring. In other words, they had an efficient offense that didn't quite reach the level of elite when it came to putting points on the board.

With Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, the potential is certainly there for the unit to kick things up a notch. The core of the defense is mostly intact so winning the division is certainly in the range of outcomes.

Lance appeared in six games last season including two starts. In his limited playing time, he had a completion percentage of 57.7 percent with five touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 168 yards on the ground on 38 attempts.

There are going to be ups and downs in his first year as a starter, but his athleticism and ability to throw the deep ball bring two elements that Jimmy G didn't necessarily give the offense.

The question is if that all pays dividends early and consistently enough to get the Niners over 10 wins.

Elijah Mitchell over 900.5 rushing yards (-130)

It can be a little scary putting your faith in a running back in a Kyle Shanahan-coached offense. The 49ers have had a different leading rusher in every year under the coach since 2017. In fact, only two backs have crossed the 900-yard mark since he took over: Carlos Hyde in 2017 and Mitchell in 2021.

With the Niners picking Tyrion Davis-Price in the 2021 draft, there's a narrative that Mitchell might not be the consistent No. 1 back. That may be true on a week-to-week basis, but it's important to remember that Mitchell had 963 yards last season while only playing in 11 games.

So even if Mitchell has to share carries with some of his backfield mates, he only has to match his production in 11 games last season across 17 contests this season. Trey Lance's presence is going to keep defenses honest as he's a threat to pull it and take off on any run look.

Brandon Aiyuk over 775.5 receiving yards (-115)

This is another line that just seems disrespectfully low. Brandon Aiyuk enters his third season coming off an 826-yard campaign in 2021 after getting 748 yards in his rookie year.

Two things make his improvement in 2021 impressive: The fact that he did it on 12 fewer targets and he had to climb out of the doghouse early in the season. Aiyuk only saw 15 targets in the first five games last season but improved enough over the season to become the second receiver on the team.

Now, he's been a standout at training camp and has a quarterback in Lance who can throw the deep ball. The receiver could wind up crushing this line.