2021 NFL season: 49ers have seventh-best odds to win next year’s Super Bowl

The 2020 NFL season is officially over. It was a tumultuous one for the San Francisco 49ers, who were the league’s walking wounded after losing several star players to injury early in the schedule.

The Niners were without Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Richard Sherman, Deebo Samuel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Dee Ford for most of the season and sputtered to a 6-10 finish.

The good news is that San Francisco should be able to run it back with a deep squad again for the 2021 season. It looks like Bosa, Kittle, Samuel and Garoppolo will be back, while Sherman will most likely find himself a new home in free agency. The oft-injured Ford could be cut during the offseason.

Oddsmakers are high on the 49ers going into next season. Bovada gives the Niners the seventh-best odds to win next year’s Super Bowl at +1700. Here are the six teams ahead of San Francisco:

Kansas City Chiefs +500
Green Bay Packers +1100
Buffalo Bills +1200
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1200
Los Angeles Rams +1300
Baltimore Ravens +1600

The Rams acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions and are favored to win the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks are at +2200, while the Arizona Cardinals are at +4500.

One area general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will need to focus on this offseason is the secondary. With nine players up for free agency, the 49ers will have some tough decisions to make.

San Francisco should be able to an impact-player with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft but will have limited cap space to sign a free agent due to the pandemic’s economic fallout. The No. 1 priority for Lynch and co. is to re-sign stalwart left tackle Trent Williams to a new deal.

What do you think of the Vegas odds for next season? Do you think they got the odds right for the 49ers?