So far, the San Francisco 49ers are the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.
The Bay Area team are +210 favorites to win it all come February, followed by the Baltimore Ravens (+350) and the Dallas Cowboys (+850).
Defending champs Kansas City Chiefs are fourth at +950 while finalist Philadelphia Eagles are sixth with +1200.
Right now, the 49ers are through to the playoffs after clinching the number one seed of the National Football Conference with a 12-4 record. They have also clinched the NFC West.
They are poised for a long playoff run. They have the talent, the coach, and everything in between to reach and win the title.
5 reasons the San Francisco 49ers will be Super Bowl LVIII champs:
1. Two MVP race frontrunners
Two potential MVPs in a season? That's how good the 49ers season has been so far. Brock Purdy, whose contract is seen as a bargain for how he plays, is one of those. A quarterback has a higher chance of winning the top individual plum.
The other is running back Christian McCaffrey, who has been torching defense all season.
"If any non-quarterback's going to get a MVP, I don't get how Christian McCaffrey can't," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "I mean, he's amazing in what he has done all year."
This is not a biased take by a coach on his player.
McCaffrey is playing sensational all season long. The 27-year-old is the league's current leading rusher with 1,177 yards and his 17 touchdowns this season, is second behind Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert (18).
He and Purdy, the odds-on favorite to win the award, make a deadly duo. McCaffrey owns 32 percent of San Francisco's scrimmage yards and 38.5 percent of their touchdown total.
2. Peaking at the right time
Besides the 19-33 loss to title contenders Baltimore Ravens, the 49ers have shown they can get it on with the league's top teams. They beat the offensively-talented Seattle Seahawks twice and defeated last year's finalist Philadelphia Eagles, all of them by double digits.
Ten of their 12 victories were by double-digit leads. This only speaks of how fluid their game is whenever they step up to the plate.
3. Consistency of offense
On a good day, they've got much of that; their offense is clicking.
They are second in the league in passing yards (4388) next to the Dolphins (4525). They have scored 32 touchdowns, tied for league-best with the Dallas Cowboys. They have an overall offensive rating of 110.9, which is better than any team.
4. Fred Warner's increasing play
Aside from Purdy and McCaffrey, Fred Warner is also having a career season. He was just named to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, thanks to his stellar performance for the 49ers each game.
He has so far averaged 2.5 sacks, 132 tackles (six for loss), 11 pass deflections, and four interceptions returned for 66 yards in 17 games. His 66 yards is tied for first among NFL linebackers.
He also recorded four forced fumbles, tied for first among players of his position.
5. Stifling defense
Warner, together with pass rusher Nick Bosa, rank in the top ten in Defensive Player of the Year odds. Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles received a first-hand experience of their stifling defense.
The defensive line limited Hurts to just 20 rushing yards in their Week 13 meeting. That was the MVP candidate's second-lowest single-game total of the season.
Bosa and Warner will continue to be a force to be reckoned with, and with quarterback plays expected to increase in the playoffs, the 49ers will rely more on them.
Related article: NFL Standings 2023 - Final Showdowns in 2024
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