Breaking down early 49ers point spreads

The NFL released the 2020 schedule and the San Francisco 49ers will open their NFC West defense with a home contest against the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers enter the season at +115 to win the division, and their preseason win total is installed at 10.5 with -110 odds on both the over and under.

DraftKings Sportsbook posted all the Week 1 point spreads the evening of the schedule release, and they have since added nearly 100 additional games throughout the season. DK does big business in New Jersey and Colorado, so it is no surprise they have all 16 lines for the Giants, Jets, Eagles, and Broncos. However, they have multiple lines for other teams as well. For the 49ers, we get five additional lines, including Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to Foxboro and another rematch with Drew Brees and the Saints.

Point spreads

Week 1: vs. Cardinals (-8.5)
Week 2: @ Jets (-5.5)
Week 3: @ Giants (-5.5)
Week 4: vs. Eagles (-5.5)
Week 7: @ Patriots (-1)
Week 10: vs. Saints (+2.5)

Most likely cover

It would either be the Jets or the Giants at -5.5. The 49ers asked for a pair of east coast games back-to-back so they could avoid a trip back-and-forth and keep their bodies acclimated. They got it with two of the worst teams on their schedule. If both teams are completely healthy, I would lean Jets -5.5 for the most likely 49ers cover. The Giants offense is quite talented, and while Daniel Jones has plenty of questions heading into his second season, I think this offense could be explosive. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold should have a better season than he did a year ago, but the team lost some key players and didn’t do much to replace them.

Most likely fail to cover

That 8.5 seems like a mighty big number against Arizona. The Cardinals added DeAndre Hopkins and are coming off a stronger than expected 2019 in Kyler Murray and Kliff Kungsbury’s debut season. I could see this being a line where the public jumps on the Cardinals early on, so it will be one to track. If you want to bet the 49ers, I suspect we see some movement down, so wait until closer to Week 1 to get this at maybe a touchdown.

Line most likely to change

The Patriots line should see some sizable movement. If this game was in Week 1, it might not change much, but by late October, we’ll have a really good idea of what the Patriots are about. If Jarrett Stidham proves to be the second coming, I could see the Patriots favored by Week 7. If Jarrett Stidham is decidedly not the answer, the 49ers will become bigger favorites. I see almost no chance this line closes at 49ers -1.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN) or 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO). NH/NJ/WV/IN/PA/CO only. 21+ (18+ NH). Eligibility Restrictions Apply. See website for details.