Will the 49ers go 16-0?

The San Francisco 49ers nearly reached the mountain top in the 2019-2020 NFL season. Kyle Shanahan’s squad held a 10-point lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 54, only to come up short over the final ten minutes. They lost 31-20, but are a favorite to make a return trip.

Betting on win totals, division titles, and Super Bowl appearances is a traditional side of sports betting. However, DraftKings Sportsbook is offering a fun twist for the coming season. They have posted odds on whether one of six teams will go 16-0 in the 2020 regular season. The list includes the 49ers, Chiefs, Ravens, Saints, Eagles, and Buccaneers. The 49ers are installed at +5000 to do the deed.

Below, we will take a look at the 49ers 2020-21 schedule to see what it will take for them to win every regular season game.

Easy matchups

Week 2: @ Jets
Week 3: @ Giants
Week 5: vs. Dolphins
Week 14: vs. Washington

If the Jets had upgraded their wide receiver position better, I might bump this to winnable, but could be close. The 49ers will likely stay on the east coast between the two New Jersey games, which potentially makes the Giants game a little bit easier.

Upsets are always possible, but the 49ers are unlikely to lose these. All four teams made some big moves this offseason, but all four remain questionably competitive. The Washington game is notable in that it comes between a home game with a potentially solid Bills team and a road game at Dallas. I don’t think the 49ers would overlook Washington, but that’s something to consider at least a little bit.

Winnable, but could be close

Week 1: vs. Cardinals
Week 4: vs. Eagles
Week 6: vs. Rams
Week 7: @ Patriots
Week 12: @ Rams
Week 13: vs. Bills

I think Arizona is better than LA, thus the reason both Rams games are in this category, as compared to only one Cardinals game. The Rams will say otherwise, but it feels like they’re trying to mix in rebuilding with reloading. We rarely see that work, and I would not be surprised to see the Rams finish last in the division this year.

That Patriots game is one of the toughest on the slate to project. The 49ers are listed as a one-point road favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, but I don’t think anybody can predict what the Patriots offense will look like this season. If the Patriots don’t sign Cam Newton, can Jarrett Stidham be the answer? My guess is no, but I can’t say that with certainty.

Tough matchups

Week 8: @ Seahawks
Week 9: vs. Packers
Week 10: @ Saints
Week 15: @ Cowboys
Week 16: @ Cardinals
Week 17: vs. Seahawks

The Cardinals addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins via trade and do-everything linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the draft give them some serious new weapons. If Kyler Murray can take a step forward from an exciting rookie season, this team will be dangerous. This matchup could slip down otherwise, but I think we see an impressive Cardinals squad this year.

All five of these games are winnable, but they are the proverbial “championship games” that will make or break if the 49ers can secure top seed in the NFC, let alone finish undefeated. That Packers game actually sticks out to me. The 49ers are better than the Packers, but it’s a Thursday Night Football game coming off a road game in Seattle. 49ers-Seahawks games are notoriously physical, and that would make a short week following that much more difficult.

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