The NFL futures markets get bigger and bigger every offseason.
Long gone are the days where you could only bet on a team to win its division, conference or the Super Bowl. Sportsbooks now have future options on all kinds of betting markets. How many passing yards will a quarterback have? Which running back will lead the league in rushing? Who will rack up the most sacks? Will Team X make the playoffs? It doesn’t stop.
As I always say — the more candy in the candy aisle, the more likely you’ll leave with candy.
Here are three NFL future wagers to consider this season with odds via DraftKings:
Check out NESN’s in-depth NFL Betting Preview here.
Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs (+110)
I love the plus-price on Minnesota to be one of the best seven teams in the NFC. They were decimated on the defensive side of the ball by injuries and opt-outs last season and that unit should regress the right way. That line with Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson is going to be a monster. And quarterback Kirk Cousins has plenty of weapons to work with on offense. Tampa Bay, Green Bay, San Francisco and New Orleans are the only surefire playoff teams, yet somehow, every NFC West team has shorter conference odds than Minnesota. The math doesn’t even make sense.
Ja’Marr Chase most rookie receiving yards (+225)
The former LSU Tiger will immediately become the focal point of the Cincinnati Bengals offense and I expect Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow to pick up where they left off in college. Chase caught 84 passes from Burrow for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns in his sophomore season. Insane numbers, right? Head coach Zac Taylor is an innovative cat who finally has a true No. 1 quarterback and receiver combo. Assuming Burrow stays healthy, those two will connect quite a bit. You also have to consider that the Bengals will likely be trailing in a lot of games. Pad those numbers, baby.
Chiefs and Packers to meet in Super Bowl (+2500)
Why not? It’s the matchup we deserve to see on the game’s grandest stage. This price is much juicier than it should be because of all the Tampa Bay Buccaneers inflation in the market. Tom Brady and Co. have literally become the most popular team in the NFC, which makes the odds higher on everybody else. Green Bay’s offense will be extremely tough to stop, and Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the universe. In a quarterback-driven league — Mahomes, Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen were the last four standing last season — I’ll gladly roll the dice on this Super Bowl matchup at 25-to-1.
