The NFL Draft hasn’t arrived and the 2018 NFL schedule isn’t even out. Somehow, it still isn’t too early to think ahead to how the next NFL season could unfold.
The dead period of sports is upon us and then there will still be a few months before real, meaningful pro football games are played. I mean, I’m seriously keeping tabs on whether or not Johnny Manziel’s comeback is a thing these days.
Either way, I need my NFL fix somehow and fortunately Sportsbetting.ag pushed out NFL division odds recently.
There have been Super Bowl 53 and even Super Bowl 54 odds out for a while now, but there’s something about actual odds for each NFL division that makes the new season a little more real.
It’s still early in the process, as the final waves of free agency, the draft and scheduling can and will alter your betting approach. Still, it can be profitable to jump on sleepers in the early going, as some of the best priced teams will only lose their value as the months go by.
A year ago the Philadelphia Eagles were not pegged as legit Super Bowl contenders. The Minnesota Vikings may have been on the cusp of a run, but few really believed they’d win the NFC North and trump the Green Bay Packers.
The AFC South was so wide open with the young Jacksonville Jaguars seemingly not quite ready for the next step, either.
Those are just three examples of teams who stepped up last year, won their respective division crown and made it to their conference title game. Philly, of course, went on to win their franchise’s first ever Super Bowl.
I’m not in the business of predicting every division winner just yet, but the early NFL division odds do give way to some staggering value. Here are my six favorite bets across the board:
Cam Newton and company look like one of the better NFL division value targets for bettors, seeing as they won the division three years ago and nearly did so again in 2017.
Carolina is sleeker than they were last year, as they’ve already shed an aging Jonathan Stewart from their roster and also brought in some deep speed via Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright.
The Panthers will still only go as far as Newton will take them, but this remains a run-dominant team that can kill defenses over the top. Defensively, this unit remains as good as anyone.
After narrowly missing out on the NFC South title last year (Panthers and Saints both finished with 11-5 records), Carolina has the third worst odds to make a run at it again. The Saints and Falcons are the better options per Sportsbetting.ag, but Carolina offers more value.
If you want a little more value but seek a relatively safe bet, consider doubling down on Seattle just as everyone leaves them for dead.
I know this team regressed last year and had a ton of roster turnover, but they’re still hard to bet against. After all, most of the guys they parted with (namely Richard Sherman) were aging and/or coming off of injuries.
In reality, the Seahawks probably made quality long-term moves that will help them get better. This is a team in mild transition, but they still have sound coaching, a very talented defense and a gamer of a quarterback in Russell Wilson leading the charge.
Los Angeles took this division last year, but teams often struggle to repeat as division champs. Arizona isn’t regarded as much of a threat, so the only other obstacle in Seattle’s way is the 49ers.
San Francisco is undoubtedly on the rise, but they’re the only other roadblock in Seattle’s way. Maybe the Seahawks really are trending in the wrong direction, but at +350 they feel like a really fun value bet going into 2018.
You’re getting a little more value with the Colts, who could be an extremely sneaky team with star quarterback Andrew Luck (hopefully) set to return in 2018.
Luck missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, but if he’s back in the saddle, how do bettors turn away from Indy tying for the worst odds in this division?
Jacksonville may have proven last year that they’re the class of the AFC South and the Titans could also continue their rise, but Indy still has the best pure passer in this division.
With Luck healthy and the Colts making solid moves throughout their roster (letting aging running back Frank Gore go, for one), a quick turnaround wouldn’t be all that shocking.
Another interesting NFL division bet could be the Chiefs, who literally just secured an AFC West title last season.
Trading away steady veteran passer Alex Smith has dropped the Chiefs down in this division, however, as Sportsbetting.ag now has them tied for the worst odds to take first place.
The switch from Smith to Patrick Mahomes III was a bold one, but arguably something KC had to do. The move could have the offense going through some growing pains initially, but in the end, it may give the Chiefs the shot in the arm they desperately needed.
Kansas City still has loads of offensive talent with Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and now Sammy Watkins in tow. Add in solid coaching and a talented defense, and this very well may remain the best team in the AFC West.
Oakland underwent a coaching change, Denver still may not have a quarterback and the Chargers can’t seem to get out of their own way. Mahomes may take some time to develop, but the Chiefs could still be the cream of the crop here and bettors are getting pretty killer value.
If you want elite value, consider betting on the Cincinnati Bengals. They didn’t perform up to expectations last year and Marvin Lewis has never won a playoff game, but this is still a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.
Pittsburgh is still the best team in the AFC North, but Cincinnati literally won this division three years ago and if it hadn’t been for injuries, they may have been better over the last two years.
This has been a disappointing team lately, but Andy Dalton still heads a talented offense and running back Joe Mixon could be ready to soar in 2018. If the defense can get back to operating at an elite level, the Bengals just might pack enough punch to be taken seriously as an elite value pick.
The Redskins boast the same exact odds as the Bengals and I might even like them more. The trade for Alex Smith was a brilliant move, as it gave the offense an arguable upgrade over Kirk Cousins and saved the team some money in the process.
Smith isn’t an elite quarterback, but he proved in 2017 he’s still a bit better than anyone gives him credit for. With viable offensive weapons in Jordan Reed, Chris Thompson and freshly signed Paul Richardson at his disposal, it’s not crazy to think he picks up where he left off last year in Kansas City.
The beauty with the Redskins is they also have a talented and improving defense. Smith doesn’t need to do it all on his own here, while Washington is realistically just contending with the world champion Eagles and the Cowboys for first place.
Philly could easily regress after winning their first Lombardi Trophy last year, while Dallas proved last year they still have some wrinkles to iron out.
Washington is far from a safe pick, but the NFC East is rarely easy to project. With a bold move under center and a solid team around their prized new quarterback, the Redskins could be one of the best NFL division value bets of 2018.
Overall, the point here is to take an early look at 2018 NFL division odds and think a little outside the box in some spots and note teams that are being shortchanged in others.
Washington and Cincinnati give bettors two interesting longshot bets that really are fundamentally strong in terms of talent. The other options give you some solid betting value, too, but may be safer plays in the grand scheme of things.
In terms of division strength, history, value and overall talent, the Seahawks play out as my favorite value bet right now. Just keep in mind the next month or so will give way to more change and in turn, odds will shift for a lot of these divisions.
The post 2018 NFL Division Odds: 6 Value Bets You Need to Consider appeared first on GamblingSites.com.
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