Sam Darnold and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks open the season behind the Los Angeles Rams on oddsboards. Sean M. Haffey / Getty ImagesSept. 2, 2026 Updated Sept. 9, 2026 3:23 pm EDTThe Athletic has live coverage of Patriots vs Seahawks in the NFL Kickoff Game. The top of the NFC West oddsboard looks a lot like the top of the Super Bowl oddsboard: The Los Angeles Rams are favored and the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks follow.The strength of the Rams is the simple answer as to why the Seahawks aren’t favored to defend either of those titles — but we’ve asked The Athletic’s predictive analyst, Austin Mock, to break down how his model projects both teams.NFC West oddsNFC West projectionsTeamWinsPlayoffsDivisionSuper BowlRams11.777.2%44.4%15.5%Seahawks10.968.3%31.6%7.8%49ers10.158.6%22.9%5.6%Cardinals4.55.2%1.1%0.1%The Rams are certainly overpriced in the betting market, but they’re rightfully favored to dethrone the Seahawks in the NFC West.In a normal year, the Seahawks would likely be favored to defend their titles. Unfortunately for them, the Rams put together an offseason for the ages to improve a roster that already gave the reigning champs all they could handle in 2025.
NFC West odds, projections: The gap between the favored Rams and defending champion Seahawks
In a division featuring two Super Bowl favorites, only one can have the edge heading into the season. Here's why that's L.A., not Seattle.
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