49ers odds to make playoffs next season looking much better than last year

Every year, shortly after the regular season schedule is released, oddsmakers release a variety of odds related to each team’s performance. We get win totals and divisional odds, but a particularly interesting one is odds to make the NFL playoffs.

A year ago this time, the San Francisco 49ers were in the early stages of the new John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan era, and expectations for 2017 were relatively low. Plenty changed with the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo, but at this point last season, the 49ers were just ahead of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets for odds against making the playoffs.

A year later, everything has changed. Jimmy G emerged as a franchise quarterback over the final five games of the season, and expectations skyrocketed for the organization. A year ago, the 49ers had the third worst odds of making the playoffs. Now, they are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for 12th best odds, at +120. They might not have the best odds, but people like where they are headed.

The New England Patriots are installed at -1600 to make the playoffs, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers (-500) and Philadelphia Eagles (-270). the Los Angeles Rams lead the way in the NFC West at -170. The 49ers are next, followed by the Seattle Seahawks at +220. The Arizona Cardinals bring up the rear at +800, and in fact, have the worst playoff odds of anybody in the NFL. The 49ers emergence while Seattle remains in consideration means even one of the two wild card berths is unlikely for Arizona.