NFL Teams' Strength of Schedule: San Francisco 49ers Face Easiest Schedule, Find Out Which Teams Have Toughest Opponents
Rewritten Article:
Football fanatics, buckle up! The NFL has dropped their full 2025-26 schedule, and it's a season we all can't wait for, although preseason football is still a few months away. To add to the excitement, I've crunched the numbers and calculated the NFL strength of schedule for all 32 teams. Dive into the details or skip ahead to learn about the San Francisco 49ers' easy schedule and which team has the toughest slate ahead.
San Francisco 49ers' Cakewalk Schedule
In the aftermath of losing key players like Deebo Samuel, Aaron Banks, and Charvarius Ward this offseason, this year's 49ers roster might not be the most star-studded one they've fielded during their six-year run of mostly robust regular-season performances. But with an easy schedule, they might not need a roster filled with all-stars. Thanks to their disappointing fourth-place finish in the NFC West last season, the 49ers will battle teams that finished last in their leagues in 2024, as well as divisions like the AFC South and NFC South, which are predicted to be weaker in 2025.
The result? The 49ers will avoid any teams whose respective NFL win total over/unders are above 9.5, bypassing powerhouses like the Ravens, Bills, Bengals, Lions, Chiefs, and Eagles in the regular season. They'll only have four games against teams whose over/unders are higher than 8.5, and will play five games against teams whose projected win totals are 6.5 or less.
49ers' Schedule Highlights
The 49ers will kick off their season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. However, if there's anything San Francisco can complain about with this schedule, it's the fact that they open the season with six of their first nine games away from home.
Check out the full NFL schedule release!
Making the Most of a Soft Schedule
Interestingly, the 49ers found themselves in a similar position before. In 2020, San Francisco went 6-10 and ended up last in the NFC West. The very next year, they had the easiest NFL strength of schedule, and they ripped off a 10-7 record, only good for third in the division, but they made it all the way to the NFC Championship before losing by a field goal to the eventual Super Bowl champion LA Rams. Although they won't have Deebo Samuel on this year's team, the 2025 roster boasts potential upgrades in Brock Purdy and (assuming he's healthy) Christian McCaffrey.
Here's a glimpse of the 49ers' futures from bet365:
- Win total: 10.5
- Divisional odds: +145 (favorites)
- Conference odds: +700 (3rd-best)
- Super Bowl odds: +1600 (6th-best)
Giants Draw the Short Straw
The New York Giants have struggled recently, and that struggle won't let up in the 2025-26 NFL season, as they face the league's toughest schedule. Despite only winning more than six games once in the last eight seasons, things won't get easier for the G-Men in 2025.
Located in a strong NFC East division that includes the reigning NFC champions, Eagles, as well as the NFC runner-up Commanders, and the Cowboys, who had their own struggles last year after Dak Prescott missed more than half the season, these six games will be no walk in the park. But if that wasn't enough, the Giants also face off against the AFC West and NFC North divisions. Plus, they'll go up against the 49ers in Week 9.
Based on a brutal first 12 weeks, Giants fans might have their first look at Jaxson Dart after their Week 14 bye.
- The San Francisco 49ers, with an easier NFL schedule ahead, will bypass powerhouses like the Ravens, Bills, Bengals, Lions, Chiefs, and Eagles in the regular season due to their lower predicted win totals.
- In the 2025-26 NFL season, the New York Giants, who have struggled recently, will face the league's toughest schedule, with challenging games against the reigning NFC champions, Eagles, the NFC runner-up Commanders, the Cowboys, both the AFC West and NFC North divisions, and the 49ers.
- The 49ers, who previously had the easiest NFL schedule in 2021, comprising teams with lower win totals, managed a 10-7 record that season, reaching the NFC Championship before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion LA Rams.
