Superbowl 46 Betting Online – 2011 49ers Season Preview
The Jim Harbaugh era is underway in San Francisco as the former head coach of the Stanford Cardinal makes his transition to the ranks of the NFL.
NFL 2011 Team Preview and Odds- San Francisco 49ers
Odds to win the NFC West +185
Odds to win the NFC 22/1
Odds to win the Super Bowl 45/1
Win Total 7.5
He will undoubtedly bring with him a ton of energy and enthusiasm that was largely responsible for turning Stanford’s football program around, but he takes over a team that will need much more than that to effectively compete in the NFC this year. 
The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 6-10 season in 2010 which was a step backwards from an eight win season in 2009.
Harbaugh’s biggest task will be to determine who will be his starting quarterback when the team lines up against Seattle on opening day. He started training camp with Alex Smith as his top choice, but just one week into the preseason the competition for the job is once again wide open.
The 49er’s second-round pick Colin Kaepernick is in the mix and they are also reportedly going to bring in veteran signal caller Daunte Culpepper, who has been out of the league since 2009, for a look. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
This is certainly not the best scenario for a rookie head coach that is trying to get a team ready for the season after an extended player lockout.
The one thing that San Francisco can count on is a solid running game led by Frank Gore. He rushed for 853 yards last season, which was the first time he gained less than 1000 yards since his rookie season in 2005. Also, look for fourth-round pick RB Kendall Hunter to work his way into the lineup as the season progresses.
They added Braylon Edwards to a receiving corps that also has Michael Crabtree, but San Francisco will still rely primarily on its running game to move the chains.
The 49ers also used the draft to sure up some holes in the defensive line and secondary. They selected DE Aldon Smith with the seventh overall pick and added DB Chris Culiver in the third round. All told, San Francisco added two linemen and three defensive backs with its five picks on this side of the ball.
They recently signed veteran defensive back Carlos Rogers, as a free agent from Washington, and linebacker Larry Grant, who started eight games for St. Louis last season.
The biggest thing in San Francisco’s favor this season is playing in a division where seven or eight wins will most likely be enough to win it.
The bad news is that with an unsettled situation at quarterback, it is doubtful they even will be able to manage that many wins.
2011 Prediction: 6-10 and third in the NFC West.
With NFL Training camps already starting Cappers Picks NFL Football handicappers have been hard at work putting out the team by team Football Predictions and NFL Season Previews for those of us who can’t wait.
Bet on the Super Bowl XLVI winner, plus 2011 Conference and Divisional winners today.
