Nfc West Predictions, Odds & Nfl Best Picks For 2026

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The NFC West made history with three teams winning 12 or more games last year, including the Super Bowl stunning Seattle Seahawks.

With SBLXI at SoFi Stadium this season, the Los Angeles Rams are balls to the wall on making it back to the Big Game. And oddsmakers like their chances.

We have some real highs (Rams 11.5 win total) and lows (Cardinals 3.5 wins) in the NFC West and between them all, there is value to be had.

Here’s my team-by-team breakdown and NFL predictions ahead of the 2026 season.

NFC West best picks for 2026

Read on for Jason's full analysis and NFC West breakdown! 

NFC West odds for 2026

NFC West breakdown

Arizona Cardinals: Broken wings

It’s a perfect storm in the desert. Coaching changes, a shallow QB pool, and a dreadful defense mix with an ultra-competitive division and one of the toughest 2026 schedules. That ill-fated alchemy has the Arizona Cardinals getting a touchdown or more 13 times and pegged as pups in all 17 of their games. That includes double-digit spreads in eight of their first 11 outings. Yeesh.

Arizona’s biggest strength is the run game, featuring No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love (who's nursing an ankle sprain), offseason addition Tyler Allgeier, and a beefed-up offensive line. Too bad the Cardinals won’t be able to run much after the defense hemorrhages a projected league-high in points, forcing Arizona to lean on the aging arm of Jacoby Brissett – the NFL-equivalent of a 2011 Honda Pilot that still runs… for now. 

Los Angeles Rams: Big Game or bust

With the Super Bowl back in their own stadium and coach Sean McVay’s future uncertain, the Los Angeles Rams aren’t messing around. They put the NFL on notice with the Myles Garrett trade (which might get Aaron Donald out of retirement). That complements the league’s most potent passing attack with a front seven that has rival QBs sweating through their sheets. And let’s not forget L.A. added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the secondary.

The Rams are favorites to win it all, carry a league-high win total of 11.5, and are chalk in all but one game in 2026 (+1.5 at Seattle on Xmas). Eleven of those spread sit at -3.5 or higher (L.A. went 9-3 ATS when laying more than a FG in 2025). The only real knocks against Los Angeles are pending suspensions for WR1 Puka Nacua and LT Alaric Jackson, which could make that Week 1 odyssey to Australia (-3.5 vs. 49ers) a bigger pain in the ass.

San Francisco 49ers: Trust issues

We can’t handicap for injuries that haven’t happened yet. But, c’mon. It’s the San Francisco 49ers. They bring back a bunch of name-brand stalwarts (as well as some retreads and aging stars). However, those notables are always in and out of the lineup. So just how much can bettors trust the Niners? Not much.

San Francisco surprisingly won 12 games in 2025 (11-6 ATS) but many of those wins were against ho-hum teams or young QBs (or both). The 49ers also finished 5-1 SU in one-score games, a record ripe for regression in 2026. After an NFL-low in sacks and -6 turnover ratio, San Fran desperately needs new DC Raheem Morris to produce 1.21 gigawatts and transport this stop unit back to a time when it could create chaos. 

Seattle Seahawks: Find their sea legs

The Seattle Seahawks have solid foundations from their Super Bowl run but cracks in the ground game concern me. First, the backfield is thin with Kenneth Walker gonzo, Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL, and rookie RB Jadarian Price carrying the weight. Second, Klint Kubiak took the Vegas gig and hands the keys to new OC Brian Fleury, who shares “Shanahanisms” but will produce an uptick in passing after a rushing clip of almost 50% in 2025.

Without an efficient run game, life gets harder for QB Sam Darnold, who threw the fifth most play-action passes (third most PA yards) last year. Seattle’s defense will keep it in the mix but a post-bye sked derails their divisional dreams. The final seven games are tough – including two games with the Rams – and contain a nasty crunch, with four games in 18 days.

My favorite NFC West player props this season

Trey McBride – Yes 1,000+ Receiving Yards

49% probability

The best tight end in the biz is unfortunately stuck in Arizona. The Cardinals are massive underdogs most weeks, which sets up a pass-positive game script. McBride was third in targets in 2025 and his 2026 projections are either on or above 1,000 yards. No matter who's under center in Arizona, the TE is the top option.

Blake Corum – Yes 6+ Rushing TDs

65% probability

Given their look-ahead spreads, the Rams will be running out the clock in the second half. Corum is expected to share more carries with Kyren Williams, building on his surge in activity last December. His forecasts sit as high as seven rushing touchdowns.

Mike Evans – No 1,000+ Receiving Yards

68% probability

Evans gets a step up in divisional competition, going from the softer stop units of the NFC South to facing the Rams and Seahawks twice a year. Even if he stays healthy, which is a stretch in San Francisco, his projections are short of 1,000 yards.

Sam Darnold – Yes 4,000+ Passing Yards

37% probability

The Seahawks had one of the lowest pass rates in the land in 2025 and Darnold still racked up 4,000 yards. With new OC Brian Fleury pushing pass and the backfield a bit of a mess, Darnold is modelled to repeat that feat. 

NFC West trends to know for 2026

• Cardinals: Arizona is getting 10+ points in the first three weeks of the season. Even that extra buffer hasn’t been enough for big dogs early in the year, with double-digit pups going 5-9 ATS in the opening three weeks since 2020.
  
  
• Rams: Sean McVay isn’t afraid of enemy territory. During his tenue with the Rams, Los Angeles is 18-9 SU and 20-7 ATS (74%) in divisional road games. That includes a 3-0 ATS mark when visiting NFC West foes last year.
  
  
• 49ers: The Niners have pumped out the Overs when visiting NFC West rivals under the watch of Kyle Shanahan. Since 2017, San Francisco is 16-9-1 O/U (63.5% Overs) in divisional road games, including a 2-1 O/U count in 2025.
  
  
• Seahawks: In two years under Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have quickly claimed the title as the best ATS road team. Seattle is a remarkable 12-4-1 ATS as a visitor, including an 8-1 ATS mark away from home last year.

NFC West schedule in 2026

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