Training camp is over and preseason is in its final week. That means just one thing: the NFL season is a week away. And with it comes plenty of opportunities to score big at the sportsbooks—if you know what you’re doing.

As summer ends and the weather cools, one thing comes to mind for U.S. sports fans: football. If you’re unfamiliar with betting the NFL, here’s all you need to get you started.

Super Bowl Odds

As in any season, the biggest ticket item will be the Super Bowl champions. This year’s odds are as follows:

New England Patriots 7/1 Kansas City Chiefs 8/1 New Orleans Saints 9/1 Los Angeles Rams 11/1 Philadelphia Eagles 14/1 Los Angeles Chargers 15/1 Cleveland Browns 15/1 Chicago Bears 19/1 Green Bay Packers 19/1 Pittsburgh Steelers 19/1 Dallas Cowboys 25/1 Houston Texans 30/1 Minnesota Vikings 30/1 Jacksonville Jaguars 31/1 Atlanta Falcons 32/1 Baltimore Ravens 32/1

Seattle Seahawks 32/1 San Francisco 49ers 36/1 Tennessee Titans 40/1 Carolina Panthers 50/1 Indianapolis Colts 60/1 New York Jets 60/1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 70/1 Denver Broncos 70/1 New York Giants 80/1 Buffalo Bills 80/1 Detroit Lions 80/1 Oakland Raiders 100/1 Washington Redskins 100/1 Arizona Cardinals 110/1 Cincinnati Bengals 150/1 Miami Dolphins 170/1

 

Storylines from Camp that Will Affect (or Have Already Affected) the Odds:

1. The biggest news by far is the sudden retirement of Indianapolis’s franchise quarterback, Andrew Luck. The 29-year-old broke the news during his team’s Week 3 preseason game, and exited his home stadium to the sound of boos from the home crowd. Luck has dealt with injuries his whole career, but when healthy was one of the most effective QBs in the entire league. His loss is a painful one for the Colts—and their title hopes this season. Their Super Bowl odds dropped from 12/1 to 60/1, and their projected win total dropped from 9.5 to 6.5. The Indy backup, Jacoby Brissett, has had some limited success in the NFL. Perhaps he offers the Colts some sleeper value at their current odds.
2. The next big storyline is a shared one, as a pair of elite running backs are still holding out of their team activities. One season after top-tier RB Le’Veon Bell held out of his entire season with the Steelers, fellow backs Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon seem to be following in his footsteps. All three have held out in regards to contract extension negotiations, or the lack thereof. Elliott’s Cowboys and Gordon’s Chargers are both expected to be contending teams this season, but without their star running backs, it’s tough to see either team making a push. This is definitely a storyline to keep a close eye on in the next few weeks.
3. The injury bug hasn’t been as brutal this preseason as it has in the past, due in part to many teams taking extra precautions with their star players. But this doesn’t apply to the Houston Texans and starting running back Lamar Miller. The veteran back tore his ACL during his Week 3 preseason game and is likely out for the season. The Texans are considered contenders for their division and the Super Bowl this season, but their path to the championship has become a little more difficult with the loss of one of their most explosive weapons on offense.

 

Each Team’s Projected Win Totals for the 2019-20 Season:

New England Patriots 11 Kansas City Chiefs 10.5 New Orleans Saints 10.5 Los Angeles Rams 10.5 Philadelphia Eagles 9.5 Los Angeles Chargers 9.5 Chicago Bears 9 Cleveland Browns 9 Green Bay Packers 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 9 Dallas Cowboys 9 Minnesota Vikings 9 Houston Texans 8.5 Atlanta Falcons 8.5 Baltimore Ravens 8.5 Seattle Seahawks 8.5

Jacksonville Jaguars 8 San Francisco 49ers 8 Tennessee Titans 8 Carolina Panthers 8 New York Jets 7.5 Denver Broncos 7 Indianapolis Colts 6.5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6.5 Buffalo Bills 6.5 Detroit Lions 6.5 Washington Redskins 6.5 Cincinnati Bengals 6 New York Giants 6 Oakland Raiders 6 Arizona Cardinals 5 Miami Dolphins 5

 

The New England Patriots hold the top spot with 11 projected wins, but this number seems a little low to be the highest win projection. Last year, five different teams eclipsed 11 wins. And with such talent at the top of the league, history may repeat itself. The top half of the NFL all look like possible contenders this year, so taking the over on a few of these teams’ win totals might be a smart play.

In contrast, the Cardinals and Dolphins sit at the bottom with five projected wins each. Four teams had fewer than five wins last season, and the bottom tier of the league looks fully capable of doing so again in 2019. So, while there are likely more candidates to hit the over this season, there are still some teams at the bottom worth playing the under.

 

You Can Bet On It

Like any other NFL season, this one is sure to be full of surprises. If you’re looking for a sure-fire bet, keep looking. There will be plenty of opportunities to bet on Sundays, as there won’t be a football-less weekend until February. So get in those Super Bowl/win total bets now, and once Week 1 comes around, enjoy playing some live bets!

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