How 49ers-Panthers Christian McCaffrey Trade Impacts Super Bowl Odds
San Francisco's blockbuster affected the NFL betting market
The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a blockbuster trade Thursday night, acquiring All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers for a haul of NFL draft picks.
The deal, as you’d expect, had an immediate impact on the futures betting market, with both the 49ers’ and the Panthers’ Super Bowl odds affected by the shocking move.
Here were each team’s odds to win Super Bowl LVII before and after the trade, as of Friday morning, according to DraftKings Sportsbook:
49ers before trade: +2500
49ers after trade: +1600
Panthers before trade: +50000
Panthers after trade: +70000
The Panthers’ odds largely are irrelevant here, as few expected Carolina to make noise even before the trade. Their odds dropping to +70000 — third-longest on the board at DraftKings Sportsbook, behind the Houston Texans (+100000) and Chicago Bears (+100000) — is unlikely to entice much additional action on the futures market.
The 49ers’ odds dropping to +1600 certainly is notable, though. San Francisco leapfrogged six teams on the betting board — the Los Angeles Rams (+2500), Dallas Cowboys (+2200), Green Bay Packers (+2000), Baltimore Ravens (+2000), Minnesota Vikings (+1800) and Los Angeles Chargers (+1800) — and now sits behind only the Buffalo Bills (+275), Philadelphia Eagles (+550), Kansas City Chiefs (+800) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+900).
The 49ers have +700 odds to win the NFC, trailing the Eagles (+225) and Bucs (+400). They’re the favorites to win the NFC West at -105, ahead of the Rams (+175), Cardinals (+900) and Seahawks (+1200).
It’s hard to argue against the Eagles being the best team in the NFC so far this season, seeing as they’re the NFL’s only remaining undefeated franchise. But there certainly is a debate for which team is second-best in the conference, and the 49ers strengthened their case by acquiring McCaffrey, especially since San Francisco has been dealing with several injuries ahead of a Week 7 clash with Kansas City.
