2008 San Francisco 49ers Wagering Outlook

The San Francisco 49ers, (5-11 SU, 5-11 ATS, 6-10 O/U) are on the clock BetUS NFL Sportsbook bettors.

Following a disappointing 5-11 season under head coach Mike Nolan, the Niners – and Nolan – are getting one more chance to succeed as they are currently built. Should the team not come up with at least an 8-8 record in 2008, Nolan will almost assuredly be given the ‘ol heave-ho.

With that in mind, here is a look at the 49ers as they get set to enter the 2008 NFL regular season in Nolan’s, followed by their 2007 NFL Statistics, 2008 NFL Draft Picks and 2008 NFL Odds in the BetUS Sportsbook.

San Francisco went 5-11 in 2007, the team’s third straight losing season under Nolan, posting an equally dismal 5-11 ATS record and 6-10 O/U record.

The 49ers couldn’t cover for NFL bettors no matter where they played, going 3-5 ATS and 2-6 O/U at home and 2-6 ATS and 4-4 O/U in all of their road contests.

The Niners fielded the league’s worst offense in 2007 with struggling quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, leading the way. San Francisco averaged a paltry 237.4 total yards per game last season, (32nd), while throwing for just 145.1 passing yards, (32nd) per game and just 92.3 rushing yards per game, (27th) despite having one of the game’s most elusive running backs in Frank Gore.

Now, Smith’s starting position is in jeopardy as Nolan has announced an open competition for the starting position after backup Shaun Hill led the team to two late-season victories in three consecutive starts.

While the high-priced Smith will likely open the regular season as the starter, largely based on his draft status, Hill could steal the spotlight here again if Smith struggles early on.

At running back, Gore didn’t have nearly as productive a season as he had in 2006, but still managed to end up with 1,538 total yards from scrimmage. The Niners also added veteran Shaun Foster to spell Gore when necessary and often play in the same backfield.

Athletic tight end Vernon Davis, the No. 6 overall pick in 2006, figures to be used a lot more in 2008 under the team’s new offensive coordinator, Mike Martz. Despite missing two games last season, and playing with a quarterback that looked clueless on most occasions, Davis still managed to snare 52 passes.

San Francisco will have two new starting wide receivers in veteran free agent signings, Bryant Johnson and Isaac Bruce. Another veteran, Arnaz Battle, will be the team’s third receiver with Ashley Lelie being fourth on the team’s depth chart.

San Francisco also need to get much better blocking and protection up front from the team’s uninspiring offensive line of left tackle Joe Staley, left guard Adam Snyder, center Eric Heitmann, right guard David Baas and right tackle, Jonas Jennings. San Francisco also signed veteran offensive lineman Barry Sims to contribute as a backup.

Defensively, the Niners ranked 25th overall, allowing opponents to average a whopping 346.1 total yards per game and 22.8 points per contest, (20th).