Is the Best Yet to Come For 49ers Star Christian McCaffrey?
The 2024 Christian McCaffrey Season Odds Have 49ers Back Ready for an Encore
McCaffrey Eyeing Another Rushing Title As Well as a Super Bowl Title
Other than his San Francisco 49ers team falling short in the Super Bowl, it has been a heck of a run for perhaps the best running back in the NFL. A monster 2023 season has expectations pretty high, according to the 2024 Christian McCaffrey season odds.
McCaffrey not only led the NFL in rushing, he had nearly 300 more yards than any other player even though he sat out the final regular season game with the result of the game against the Los Angeles Rams having no bearing on San Francisco’s playoff seeding.
While preparing for his second full season with the 49ers, he also found the time to marry actress Olivia Culpo.
No running back has better odds of winning the NFL’s regular season Most Valuable Player award than McCaffrey at +4000 per the NFL MVP odds.
Keep on reading for more on McCaffrey and his prospects for the 2024 season.
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McCaffrey hasn’t missed a game as a result of injuries in the last two seasons after being limited to 10 total games with the Carolina Panthers in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
His 1459 rushing yards were a career high with his 14 touchdown runs one shy of his best total. Add in 67 catches for 564 yards and seven more touchdowns, and it is easy to see why he was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. McCaffrey ran for four more touchdowns and had a TD reception in three playoff games. The 2024 Christian McCaffrey season odds have similar projections for the upcoming season.
Another number to consider was that he played 81% of the snaps in his 16 regular-season games. The 49ers figure to be a title contender as long as they can continue to send McCaffrey out for that many plays.
McCaffrey leads the way at +700 to win the Offensive Player of the Year award for the second season in a row.
What to Expect From McCaffrey
While the contract situation with receiver Brandon Aiyuk could get a little messy, the 49ers managed to keep most of its top offensive players in the fold and that could result in another big season for McCaffrey and the 49ers.
When looking at the 2024 Christian McCaffrey season odds, McCaffrey has the shortest odds of +275 to lead the NFL in rushing for the second season in a row. The closest competitor is Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts at +600.
The 49ers are the heavy favorites at -200 to win another NFC West title, followed by the Rams at +325 and the Seattle Seahawks at +700.
No NFC team has played in back-to-back Super Bowls since the Seattle Seahawks following the 2013 and 2014 seasons. When looking at the NFL rosters, the 49ers certainly have enough talent to make a run at another Super Bowl appearance.
San Francisco’s +250 odds to win the NFC title are setting the pace. The Detroit Lions are next at +550, with the Philadelphia Eagles (+700) and Dallas Cowboys (+750) not far behind when looking at the NFL odds. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (+550) have shorter odds of winning the Super Bowl than the 49ers at +650.
There have been some rumblings that his workload might be cut back a little bit. Elijah Mitchell ran for 963 yards as a rookie in 2021, so that is an option.
The 49ers added another pass catcher when Ricky Pearsall was selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft as the rich got richer on offense. Led by the top two tacklers, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, as well as team sack leader Nick Bosa, the 49ers return the top four tacklers. Having safety Talonoa Hufanga for more than 10 games will be a bonus as well.
How He Got Here
The 28-year-old McCaffrey was picked eighth overall out of Stanford by the Carolina Panthers.
He ran for more than 1000 yards in his second and third seasons before the Panthers traded him to San Francisco in 2022 for picks in the second, third, and fourth rounds in the 2023 NFL Draft and a fifth-rounder in 2024.
The second-round pick was part of the deal that saw the Panthers acquire the top pick in the 2023 draft. Former Alabama Bryce Young was the selection but the jury is still out on the return for the Panthers.
A Look At the Schedule
There will be plenty of eyes on the 2024 season opener when the New York Jets and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers come to San Francisco for a Monday Night clash on Sept. 9. The 49ers are currently listed as the 5.5-point favorite.
The first division game comes in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. A Super Bowl rematch is set with the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20. That begins a challenging stretch with a Sunday Night matchup at home with the Dallas Cowboys a week later. After a bye weeks come games against Tampa Bay, Seattle, Green Bay, and Buffalo.
There will also be late December meetings with the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions.
The Moneyline is at +115 for the 49ers to go over 11.5 wins during the regular season and -145 to finish under the total.
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