NFC team-by-team betting breakdown: Contender or pretender?

“Dr. Alan” Dumond is a two-time top-five finisher in the Westgate SuperContest.

The Wizardraceandsports.com handicapper analyzes all 16 NFC teams, designating each squad as a contender or a pretender.

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams: The Rams went all in last season to win the Super Bowl, acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford, linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The gamble paid off, as Los Angeles won the Lombardi Trophy on its home field. Can the Rams become the first team since the 2005 Patriots to repeat? They’re loaded with Stafford, reigning Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and the best young coach in the NFL in Sean McVay. Contender.

Seattle Seahawks: After a 7-10 season, the Seahawks traded longtime QB Russell Wilson to the Broncos. QB Geno Smith will start for Seattle in Week 1 after beating out Drew Lock. The Seahawks are in rebuilding mode. Pretender.

San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo gets no respect. He started 45 regular-season games for the 49ers and produced a 31-14 record. In postseason play, he guided the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance in 2020 and to last year’s NFC championship game. But the 49ers are handing the keys to unproven second-year QB Trey Lance. The Niners have elite playmakers on offense with wideout Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle. Defensive end Nick Bosa leads a solid defense. Contender.

Arizona Cardinals: Coach Kliff Kingsbury and QB Kyler Murray enter their fourth season together. They produced their first winning record together last season at 11-6 and made their first playoff appearance. But the Cardinals turned into an NFL soap opera in the offseason, with Murray throwing a temper tantrum on social media about his contract dispute. Wideout DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games after a failed drug test. The recent arrests of receiver Marquise Brown and running backs coach James Saxon just add to the drama. Losing pass rusher Chandler Jones will hurt. Pretender.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: As the defending Super Bowl champs last season, the Bucs went 13-4 but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Rams. Coach Bruce Arians retired and was replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. QB Tom Brady announced his retirement, then unretired. Despite the coaching change and retirement drama, oddsmakers expect another stellar season from the Bucs. They‘re favored in 16 of 17 games, and their season win total is 11. At age 45, we have yet to see a drop-off in play from Brady. As long as he is behind center, the Bucs are a contender.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons went 7-10 in Arthur Smith’s first season as coach. Atlanta traded longtime QB Matt Ryan and acquired veteran QB Marcus Mariota and rookie QB Desmond Ridder. Oddsmakers don’t expect much from this rebuilding squad. The Falcons are underdogs in 15 of 17 games, and their season win total is five. Pretender.

New Orleans Saints: The Sean Payton era is over in New Orleans. Dennis Allen, the former Saints defensive coordinator, takes over. Allen went 8-28 in three seasons as Raiders coach. QB Jameis Winston played well last season in seven starts, going 5-2 with 14 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. The defense should keep the Saints in a lot of games. But the coaching change gives us cause for concern. Pretender.

Carolina Panthers: Carolina has finished with five wins in three straight seasons. Matt Rhule could be the first NFL coach fired if the Panthers get off to a poor start. Carolina’s defense finished second in yards allowed (305.9 ypg) last season and should be solid. The problem is on offense. The Panthers brought in former Browns QB Baker Mayfield, who will start Week 1 against Cleveland. If running back Christian McCaffrey stays healthy, Carolina should win more than five games and could surprise. Contender.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers: The Packers went 13-3 for the third straight season under third-year coach Matt LaFleur, making him the only coach in NFL history to win 13 games three seasons in a row. QB Aaron Rodgers won his second straight MVP award and fourth overall. It’s hard to believe, but Green Bay hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2011. The defense should be solid. Losing receiver Davante Adams will hurt, but the Packers again should win the division. Contender.

Minnesota Vikings: Coach Mike Zimmer was fired after back-to-back losing seasons. He was replaced by Kevin O’Connell, the former Rams offensive coordinator. Minnesota has several good pieces on offense. QB Kirk Cousins threw for 33 TDs last season and only seven interceptions. Running back Dalvin Cook remains one of the best. Wideout Adam Thielen needs to stay healthy. The defense should perform better with the addition of linebacker Za’Darius Smith and the return of defensive end Danielle Hunter. The coaching change is cause for concern, but this team could surprise. Contender.

Chicago Bears: Coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were fired after a 6-11 season. Rookie GM Ryan Poles hired rookie coach Matt Eberflus, the former Colts offensive coordinator. The Bears are expecting big things from second-year QB Justin Fields. The problem is they’re devoid of talent at the offensive skill positions and Fields will be working behind arguably the NFL’s worst offensive line. On defense, linebacker Roquan Smith is involved in an ugly contract dispute. The Bears are rebuilding. Pretender.

Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell won the locker room last season as a rookie coach. The Lions played hard every week for him. Detroit won only three games but was 11-6 ATS. Detroit acquired some quality talent in the draft, securing Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Alabama wideout Jameson Williams in the first round. The Lions should improve, but they still have a ways to go. Pretender.

NFC East

Washington Commanders: Carson Wentz takes over at quarterback. The Commanders defense, their strength in 2020, regressed horribly last season. Chase Young, the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year, will miss at least the first four games after tearing an ACL last season. The Commanders need a big season from Wentz if they hope to challenge for the division title. Pretender.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys went 12-5 last season and won the NFC East title. They led the NFL in scoring (30.4 ppg) and were second in total offense (401.4 ypg). Dallas improved dramatically on defense after allowing a franchise-record 473 points in 2020. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn did a fantastic job, and linebacker Micah Parsons was Defensive Rookie of the Year. The bad news was that the Cowboys again failed in the playoffs, where they’re 4-11 since their last Super Bowl win in 1996. Still, Dallas should remain the class of the division. Contender.

New York Giants: Two years. That’s the amount of time the Giants have given their coaches to turn things around since Tom Coughlin retired in 2016. Joe Judge was fired after two losing seasons (10-23) and replaced by Brian Daboll, the former Buffalo offensive coordinator. New York is in rebuilding mode, but this still sets up as a crucial season for QB Daniel Jones. Pretender.

Philadelphia Eagles: As a rookie coach, Nick Sirianni guided the Eagles to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth. Philadelphia is expecting much more in Sirianni’s second season. The Eagles have committed to QB Jalen Hurts and added a nice weapon in receiver A.J. Brown. Philadelphia also added a solid first-round draft pick in Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Contender.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.