Back in April, the folks at CG Technology posted gambling lines for all 240 games from Week 1 through Week 16. CG Technology operates sportsbooks at several casinos in Las Vegas, and each year they release these lines. They are as much for entertainment as anything else, but they can give us some insight into what oddsmakers think of each team.
Earlier this week, stultus pointed out an interesting article over at Football Perspective. It looked at the CG Technology gambling lines, and derived some simple ratings for teams based on the point spreads. Plenty will change in most of these spreads, but for now, it at least gives us something to consider.
The Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Indianpolis Colts make up the top five teams. The San Francisco 49ers rank No. 10 on the list, behind the Arizona Cardinals (No. 7), and ahead of the St. Louis Rams (No. 14).
The 49ers are favored in six of their eight home games, a pick 'em against the Green Bay Packers, and a 1.5-point underdog against the Seattle Seahawks. After stultus asked if Las Vegas was bull-ish on the 49ers, Germinator had this response:
As far as the home point spreads go, and knowing that the home team usually gets 3 points, Vegas is saying two things IMO:
1) They don't know what the heck to expect out of this team
2) To be safe, they are making us a slight underdog in most home games with the Packers and Seattle being the obvious exceptions
I strongly agree with point one, and I think I've made that point fairly clear in discussing the 49ers chances heading into 2015. I like the talent on the team, and I think there is plenty of upside in the coaching staff, but it is really hard to say anything with any sort of certainty about this team.
I have done some radio interviews this offseason, and I always get asked for predictions on what the team will do. I've said this team could win ten games or six games, and neither result would shock me at this point. And I think the lines show that oddsmakers agree to a certain extent. If you look at the very early lines, you can see nothing too wild. Things will obviously change plenty, but there are only two home lines in which the 49ers are more than a field goal favorite. Additionally, there is only one road line in which they are more than a field goal underdog. Plenty of national folks are quick to write off this team, but Vegas seems to be a bit unsure.
Week 1: Vikings @ 49ers (-4.5)
Week 2: 49ers (+2.5) @ Steelers
Week 3: 49ers (+2.5) @ Cardinals
Week 4: Packers @ 49ers (pick 'em)
Week 5: 49ers (pick 'em) @ Giants
Week 6: Ravens @ 49ers (-2)
Week 7: Seahawks @ 49ers (+1.5)
Week 8: 49ers (+1) @ Rams
Week 9: Falcons @ 49ers (-6)
Week 11: 49ers (+5.5) @ Seahawks
Week 12: Cardinals @ 49ers (-2)
Week 13: 49ers (-1) @ Bears
Week 14: 49ers (-2.5) @ Browns
Week 15: Bengals @ 49ers (-3)
Week 16: 49ers (+1.5) @ Lions