We have finally made it through another long NFL offseason and preseason, which means the games are about to count, and we are on our way to crowning another Super Bowl Champion.
Even though the games are about to start affecting records, that doesn’t mean futures betting has to stop, and today, we’ll break down which future bets you should be targeting before the season gets into full swing and the odds start changing drastically.
Team Result Futures
Cleveland Browns to Miss the Playoffs (-135): The Browns face an uphill battle playing in a tough division with two Super Bowl hopefuls in the Bengals and Ravens and a Steelers team that is supposed to improve. While they have a consistent starter under center, the Browns’ defense is still a concern.
The team did bring in a new defensive coordinator, but he will need to fix a team that finished 19th in points allowed per game and 25th in rushing yards allowed per game, so any improvement that is not drastic still puts Cleveland in a bad spot on that side of the ball.
Minnesota Vikings to Lose in the Divisional Round (+350): Barring anything crazy, it looks like the NFC North will be a two-team race between the Vikings and Lions, and whether they win the division or enter the playoffs through the Wild Card, the Vikings have not shown anything in the postseason that should have people excited.
In four career playoff starts, Kirk Cousins is 1-3, and he has the 15th-best offensive line unit in the league, according to PFF, in front of him this season. Not to mention, the Vikings’ defense was 31st in passing yards allowed per game last season, and there is not much improvement expected from this for this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars to Lose in the Conference Championship Game (+900): It’s not necessarily a long shot the Jaguars make it to this round of the playoffs, but a lot has to go right since they are competing with the Chiefs, Bills, and Bengals, to name a few. Jacksonville is playing in one of the weakest divisions in football, and their non-divisional schedule is not too daunting either since most of their matchups are with another weak division in the NFC South.
Offensively, this team should be dangerous in year three of the Trevor Lawrence era, and we saw some postseason magic out of them last season. If they can coast to the playoffs and have home-field advantage for at least two playoff games, I think Jacksonville will get closer to the Lombardi this year.
Division and Conference Winners
Miami Dolphins to Win the AFC East (+300): The AFC East is undoubtedly a crowded division now. With Aaron Rodgers joining the party, there are many ways this division could shake out. According to the experts and handicappers from sportsbettingapp.com, it’s worth a shot to wager on a team that should have an explosive offense this season, barring a healthy quarterback and the 4th best defensive line in the league, according to PFF.
Seattle Seahawks to Win the NFC (+1400): Two teams sit firmly atop the NFC entering the season, and that is the Eagles and 49ers, but after that, it is wide open. Seattle will likely need to enter through the Wild Card unless the 49ers take an unexpected step back this season, but either way, they have the pieces to make a run. Seattle has the 8th easiest schedule according to Sharp Football Analysis, and with an experienced coach and quarterback, the only reason this team could be hard to buy in on is their rush defense.
New York Giants to Win the NFC (+2800): In the same vein as Seattle, the Giants have one of the NFC favorites in their division, but after one year with Brain Daboll as the head coach, there is warranted optimism about this team. Under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, the Giants’ defense is expected to be one of the better units in the league, and with the additions of Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt to the receiving corp, the Giants could find themselves in a good spot come postseason time.
Wrap-Up and Reminders
It can be very easy to see big numbers next to a team’s name and jump on it right away, but it’s always important to remember bankroll management. These long-shot plays listed in this article are meant to be small unit plays to add to a futures portfolio and not something you want to go all in on, no matter how much you believe in a team.
Another critical piece to remember is since these bets can’t all be winners, there is still plenty of opportunity to hedge with futures bets throughout the season. With plenty of unexpected variables that occur each season, finding a reasonable price can come about at many different times, so if you don’t like any prices now or want to get off a particular bet, it’s always possible to let the season play out a bit.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
