The NFL is and for the foreseeable future will be the most wagered sport in the United States. Despite how many eyes are on the sport, there are some great futures bets to make as teams head into training camp.
It’s so close we can taste it. The NFL players are (mostly) heading into training camp this week, which is the final step before we see actual football being played (or whatever you want to call the preseason). Right now, everything is a mystery with the NFL, and this might be the best time to jump on certain bandwagons.
The NFL doesn’t make it easy, and there’s never a sure thing in this league. Even the New England Patriots over/under win totals is set at 11. For those who don’t know, the way over/unders work in betting, some Vegas casino will set the line for certain teams. For this exercise, we will use Caesar’s lines and let’s take the Patriots as this example. To bet the over, it’s -120, which in short means you have to bet $120 to win $100. If you want to win $1,000 on the bet, you have to pay $1,200 on the original bet. To bet the under, it’s +100. That means it’s basically an even bet.
Vegas does not make it easy for bettors as a way to confuse the new guy. If that’s you, were here to help you out.
This year, the NFL made a lot of interesting lines for the team win totals. All 30 teams get a number. All we have to do is predict whether they will go over or under said number.
There’s many positives in making the bets now. For one, lines will fluctuate greatly in the first few weeks of the season, as bettors will bet a lot on teams that look good or bad in that first month. They want to find a bandwagon to climb upon. For those who are confident going into training camp, there are teams you can get really good odds, or even better, a really favorable win total.
Of course, there is some risk in betting now. One injury could change a team’s fortune, but there’s ways to stay safe. Go for teams with depth, teams with good coaching and teams that don’t rely on one or two superstars to carry them. Now, let’s get into some of the best bets going into this NFL season.
5. Seattle Seahawks
2019 Win Total Bet: 8.5
2018 Win Total: 10
Over Bet: -140
Under Bet: +120
Yes, to win the Seattle Seahawks bet, you have to bet $140 to win $100. That’s the only thing not ideal about this bet, but Vegas is giving you the chance to jump on a bet that Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks only need nine wins. That’s too good to pass up, even at -140.
The last time the Seahawks didn’t have a winning season was 2011. They’ve been one of the most successful franchises of the decade. Experts have been calling for the death of the Seahawks dynasty for a few years now, but they just keep making the playoffs every season. Wilson and Carroll are a big reason for this, but they also get the most out of the players on the roster. They were percentage points out the top ten for points against, and they were tied for sixth in points per game.
Now, the Seahawks lost A LOT this offseason. They traded Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs. Star receiver Doug Baldwin was forced to retire. Sebastian Janikowski will no longer be kicking in front of the 12th Man. Earl Thomas and Justin Coleman left the secondary much different than the times of the Legion of Boom.
That’s why this is the fifth-ranked bet, and now higher. There are question marks, but things seem to look really good so far. Mike Iupati could further help anchor the offensive line. DK Metcalf has looked like one of the steals in the draft, and could immediately make a major impact on the outside. They signed Ziggy Ansah to bolster the pass rush, and while he won’t replace Clark he at least lessens the blow.
The Seahawks are a great bet, and even with the question marks, you should feel fairly confident that come January you’ll have yourself a winning ticket.