We are halfway through the 2018 preseason schedule, and the folks at Bovada are back with their latest odds for Super Bowl 53. This is their third update since first releasing the odds after Super Bowl 52. For the second straight update the San Francisco 49ers have seen their odds grow a little longer.
The 49ers opened at 20/1 on February 5th. Two weeks into free agency, they were listed at 14/1, tied for fifth best odds. On May 1st, following the 2018 NFL Draft, they were bumped to 15/1, good forth seventh. As of August 24th, they are listed at 22/1, good for 12th in the league.
Five teams climbed ahead of the 49ers in this most recent update. This includes the New Orleans Saints (22/1 to 14/1), Atlanta Falcons (30/1 to 15/1), Los Angeles Chargers (35/1 to 16/1), Houston Texans (25/1 to 18/1), and Jacksonville Jaguars (35/1 to 18/1). This does not mean Vegas thinks these five teams were worse than the 49ers and are now better. It means the betting public has been jumping on them, and the oddsmakers want to make sure people don’t hammer them at odds that are too favorable.
If you’re looking to bet on the 49ers but want to find some value, you are probably better suited waiting a few weeks. The team has a tough first quarter of the schedule, and if you think they will struggle to come out of it better than 2-2, their odds are likely to grow a little longer after the first four games. Of course, if you think they will go 3-1 or 4-0 in that opening stretch, you might want to jump on those 22/1 odds!