Next season has become next week.
As nationwide bettors sharpen their handicapping skills, they observe more than NFL Week 1 action, which starts with the Sept. 7 matchup between the Detroit Lions and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Top sportsbooks showcase numerous season-long props for individual players and teams.
Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, shared observations about his book’s betting trends with Gaming Today.
Fading Arizona: Cardinals’ Expectations Plummet
Even a projected basement team can shake up the betting board.
The low-expectation Cardinals delivered two signals sending gamblers south on the team’s win-total wagers Aug. 29
First came news that injured Kyler Murray will miss at least the first four games.
Then the Cardinals cut Colt McCoy, the expected starter. No Week 1 quarterback has been announced, as Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune are the most recent finalists at that position.
The Cardinals look rudderless and gamblers pounced on the Under 4.5 enough to move the line.
“Bettors reacted to that immediately,” Avello noted. “We moved Arizona’s win total from 4.5 to 3.5. That’s a full game, which is unusual this close to the start of the season.”
Bettors Go All In on J-E-T-S.
Everything but a Super Bowl parade has been outlined in Big Apple media centers amid high expectations for the Jets
They look loaded with the pickups of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Dalvin Cook, augmented by a flurry of recent draft choices. Rodgers and his one-time Packer posse have landed at MetLife Stadium.
The fever-pitched vibe from the New York market has become music to the ears of sportsbook operators.
“The Jets are one of the top teams being bet in the future books (),” Avello said. “You’ve always got that big New York market betting them to start with. They received a lot of action even when they stunk. Now with all these moves and being on Hard Knocks, the Jets are extremely popular.
“They are one of the top 3 teams getting support, along with the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys at this point.”
The Bengals ), Cowboys ), and Jets () rank as the Nos. 5-7 choices to win the Super Bowl on the DraftKings board.
The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs remain the favorite.
Jets euphoria resembles the 2019 season, when they brandished off-season acquisition Le’Veon Bell and substantial optimism. But both the star running back and the Jets flopped.
The Jets never recovered from blowing a 16-0 late third-quarter lead and losing 17-16 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. They began 1-7, finished 7-9, and Bell was gone the next year.
“I think this situation could be different for the Jets,” Avello said. “Bell had a lot of personal problems at that time (he missed the 2018 season and 2019 pre-season with a holdout). You don’t see that here.”
Bettors who believe the Jets will make a big run, but not quite reach the promised land, can obtain good value at for them to win the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills are the favorite.
Lions are Chalk
Yes, for the first time in about three decades, the Lions are favored at to win the NFC North. Detroit last won its division in 1993.
The Lions had a breakout 2022 campaign, notching 453 points. That was third in the NFC behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys.
Detroit flipped a 1-6 start into an 8-2 finish, including five straight division victories.
The Lions finished ahead of the Packers with Rodgers and, at 9-8, raised expectations for this season.
Are the defending champion Minnesota Vikings a sleeper at ?
“In that division, you are seeing four teams not that far apart, and it’s probably closer than any other division we are offering,” Avello noted. “There is not a lot of interest in the Packers, but they got some money, and there is some on the Bears, too. Detroit is going to need a real good season to overtake the Minnesota Vikings.”
So far, the oddsmakers believe the Lions will.
Bengals Backed by Bettors
Avello said Bengals money stagnated after quarterback Joe Burrow sustained a right-calf strain injury during training camp. He was carted off the field, taking Bengal optimism with him.
Reports are he will be ready for Game 1, and bettors resumed backing the Bengals in futures bets. Injury concerns over Burrow are starting to mount, however. He missed the last six games of his rookie campaign with a torn ACL.
Although he led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance two years ago and had a stellar 2022 campaign, being carted off after a non-contact play raises concerns about his vulnerability. Teammate Ja’Marr Chase says he doesn’t want Burrow to rush back for the team’s Week 1 road opener against the Cleveland Browns.
Gamblers may note that regarding Burrow’s projected stats.
Season Prop Bets for Wave of New Quarterbacks
Gamblers will bone up on matching new faces, new teams, and projected stats.
Not only have several signal callers changed teams, but rookies entered the mix, too. Gamblers have some enticing considerations on season-long pass-yardage total for these players.
The Big Names
- Rodgers, . Modest numbers suggest ground-game help.
- Burrow, . If he misses just one game, he’d be on pace to go Under, based on 4,611 and 4,475 totals the last two seasons.
Other Notable QB Props
Rookie Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts, 2800.5. Teamed with new coach Shane Steichen, who coordinated the potent Philadelphia Eagles offense last year.
- Sam Howell, Washington Commanders,
- Rookie Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers,
- Rookie C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans,
- Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints,
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers,
- Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders,
Highest Total for QB Passing Yard Prop
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs,
Lowest Total for QB Passing Yard Prop
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons,
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