The Vegas Perspective After Week 2/Quick Week 3 Preview

Following their second straight win to start the 2012 season, the San Francisco 49ers vaulted to the top of the Super Bowl best odds on 5dimes.eu. The Niners are now 11/2 favorites to win the Super Bowl according to the offshore gambling site. The Texans and Patriots, who got upset by the Cardinals on Sunday, have the second best odds at 13/2, with the Packers (15/2) & Falcons (14/1) rounding out the top 5.

While it's not a true measure of a team's chances of winning the Super Bowl, it's nice to see that the gambling gods that be showing the respect to San Fran that they deserve. After all, the 49ers have beaten two playoff teams from last year in pretty impressive fashion. You may see the scoreboard and see the Niners only won by 8 each game, but in both games, the Niners had their way with their opponent offensively and defensively. They've won the battles in the trenches and been able to make two Pro Bowl quarterbacks look "just good" instead of All Pro - an accomplishment for any team.

All that being said, this upcoming game against the Vikings is not one to sleep upon. Minnesota may treat this as their Super Bowl - given their relatively low expectations for the season. The one thing I like about this team though is the veteran presence. I don't think any of the leaders on offense and defense will let their teammates take the Vikings for granted. Plus, Harbaugh has shown in his coaching career (in both college and pros) to get the best out of his players at all times.

Preliminary prediction for Week 3 is San Francisco 27, Minnesota 17. It may be closer than most people would think, but I think the Vikings will give a spirited effort. Luckily, their strength (Adrian Peterson) could be cancelled out by the Niners' stalwart and punishing run defense, which continues to contain opponents and make them completely one dimensional. I could see AP reaching about 60/70 yards, but that's about it.

The current Vegas line for the game has San Francisco as a touchdown favorite, with an over/under of 43 points.