It would be hard to miss the news that the NFL has gone to a 17-game schedule, but if youโve been busy handicapping baseball, hockey, and basketball, it could very well be something that slipped your mind.
With NFL season win total odds posted for a while now, the discussions have been had about which lines seem to have value and which ones donโt. A lot of bettors have to weigh the risk-reward of trying to enter the markets and get the best number while still hoping to dodge the injury bugs that swarm around NFL Training Camps.
Case in point, new Indianapolis Colts QB Carson Wentz came down with a foot injury on July 30 that has given him an uncertain future. When things happen at this time of the year, front offices can adjust and maybe target another teamโs backup quarterback and work out a trade. If those things happen in the third week of the preseason, it is a little different.
As a result, a lot of bettors wonโt dabble in these NFL futures markets until they have some more certainty. There are no guarantees in the world of sport, but some situations are going to end being a lot better than others.
However, with that being said, the hype machines will be firing up about some teams and weโre getting to the point where every sports show and every sports website is going to be talking about the NFL. Having an idea of what you want to do so that you can either get in on some of these odds or wait for the perception biases to hit the board so that you can play the other side is a really good idea.
If nothing else, gauging the market and the way that these teams are lined from a futures standpoint, including season win totals, can be a starting point if you are late to the party.
Season win total odds are always moving around, so these may not be totally current, but here are the NFL Season Win Total odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 30 at 4 p.m. ET:
AFC East
Buffalo Bills 11 (-110/-110)
Miami Dolphins 9.5 (105/-125)
New England Patriots 9.5 (110/-130)
New York Jets 6 (100/-120)
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens 11 (100/-120)
Cincinnati Bengals 6.5 (110/-130)
Cleveland Browns 10.5 (-120/100)
Pittsburgh Steelers 8.5 (115/-135)
AFC South
Houston Texas 4 (-105/-115)
Indianapolis Colts 9.5 (-130/100)
Jacksonville Jaguars 6.5 (-110/-110)
Tennessee Titans 9 (-140/115)
AFC West
Denver Broncos 8.5 (-130/110)
Kansas City Chiefs 12.5 (105/-115)
Las Vegas Raiders 7 (-110/-110)
Los Angeles Chargers 9.5 (115/-135)
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys 9 (-140/115)
New York Giants 7 (-130/110)
Philadelphia Eagles 6.5 (-130/110)
Washington Football Team 8.5 (-115/-105)
NFC North
Chicago Bears 7.5 (100/-120)
Detroit Lions 4.5 (-140/120)
Green Bay Packers 10 (-140/115)
Minnesota Vikings 9 (-115/-105)
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons 7.5 (-130/110)
Carolina Panthers 7.5 (-105/-115)
New Orleans Saints 9 (-115/-105)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12 (-110/-110)
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals 8.5 (100/-120)
Los Angeles Rams 10.5 (105/-125)
San Francisco 49ers 10.5 (105/-125)
Seattle Seahawks 10 (100/-120)
These are going to move around a lot and it is always in your best interest to shop around for the best lines. You want to get the best win total line and the best juice that you can.
Here are a couple of win total bets to consider as the preseason goes along:
Carolina Panthers Under 7.5
The Carolina Panthers look like a last-place team in the NFC South. While the Atlanta Falcons are going through a pretty big transitional phase, the Falcons have one of the softest schedules in the NFL this season. The Panthers will play the six head-to-head meetings with division foes and have the extra road game by virtue of being an NFC team.
They have a late bye week in Week 13 and the five games after the bye all look extremely challenging, with Atlanta, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay again. That means that getting off to a good start is imperative.
It could happen with Sam Darnold against his old team, the New York Jets, in Week 1. Houston, Dallas, and Philadelphia are on the early part of the schedule, but the Panthers play several teams that should be better than they were last season.
The Houston game, which looks like one of the most winnable games on the schedule, falls on Thursday night, so a short week with travel off of a division game against New Orleans.
A healthy Christian McCaffrey would help and the Panthers have some talented wide receivers, but there are a lot of questions about Darnold and even more questions about this defense, which doesnโt appear to be that much better and allowed over 30 points six times last season.
The Saints may take a step back, but the Falcons should take a step up and the Buccaneers will be solid again. The Panthers look like the odd man out here.
Philadelphia Eagles Over 6.5
This one has some juice on it, but the Eagles have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season. While the Chargers and the Chiefs are on it, both of those games are at home, so the Eagles have a puncherโs chance. They finished last and get the Lions and the Jets as a result. They also have a pretty weak NFC East Division to contend with, as all six division games could be there for the taking.
Jalen Hurts played well when he was given the reins of the offense and it felt like the team responded to the switch. DeVonta Smith should be an impact player from Day 1 and the tight end position is very strong for te Eagles. Defensively, they battled a ton of injuries last season.
There seems to be a lot of excitement with the hire of Nick Sirianni, who comes from that Frank Reich/Doug Pederson coaching tree, so the Eagles have a new voice, but similar schemes.
The Eagles have a schedule ripe for the taking and nobody really stands out in that division, so they could be a team that wins more games than expected.