NFL Odds: Three Futures Bets To Make On Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Can Lamar Jackson secure another MVP?
With the NFL preseason in full swing, now is the best time to grab great value on bets in the futures market.
We've talked at great length about the New England Patriots' season outlook on our NESN shows, "The Ultimate Betting Show" and "Lunch Line." We have countless articles on how to bet the Patriots on NESNBets.
Now, let's examine how to bet on the AFC North. We'll focus on the -- finally -- healthy Baltimore Ravens.
Here are three ways I'm going to bet on the purple-birds this season.
Lamar Jackson to win MVP +2000
The Ravens were decimated by injuries last season -- none of which were more costly than losing quarterback Lamar Jackson for five games. Jackson and the rest of the team are back to being fully healthy going into this season and I'm expecting big things. I have more trust in Jackson having more individual success than the Ravens making any noise in the AFC though. That's why my first bet is on Jackson to win the MVP at 20-to-1 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. When he played in 2021-22, Jackson was his usual explosive self as a dual threat quarterback, he also continued to show improvement from the pocket, leading the Ravens to comeback wins from double-digit deficits against the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings. With a fully healthy season and an appetite for a big contract extension, I believe Jackson will return to his 2019 MVP level of play.
Kyle Hamilton to win Defensive Rookie of the Year +800
MVP isn't the only individual award I will bet as it pertains to Ravens players. I love Kyle Hamilton -- the stud safety out of Notre Dame -- to win Defensive Rookie Of The Year at +850 on DraftKings. My sleeper of the NFL Draft was Hamilton. I watched several games over the last few seasons with Hamilton and Notre Dame involved in big, prime-time match ups against top competition and he jumped off the screen every time. He's a physical freak of nature at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and can run a sub-4.6 second 40-yard dash. He's big enough to completely engulf tight ends in coverage and fast enough to cover big wide receivers as well. He's a sure tackler and physical at the point of attack, so he can come up and make a big impact against the run as well. He had some durability questions and that's why he fell to the Ravens at No. 14 overall. I think Hamilton fits the Ravens brand perfectly, he's a good, smart, coachable player who will only grow within that system. The Ravens need more playmakers outside of Lamar Jackson, and they got one in Hamilton on the defensive side of the ball.
Rashod Bateman Over Receptions (70.5), Receiving Yards (850.5) and Receiving Touchdowns (5.5)
My last bet on the Ravens is taking a flyer on second-year receiver Rashod Bateman to emerge as Lamar Jackson's top target. Last season tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Marquise "Hollywood" Brown were the primary playmakers for the Ravens. Andrews will remain a key cog in the offense, but Brown is now in Arizona. Bateman is next in line to reap the benefits of playing alongside Jackson. In a lesser role last season, Bateman still ended up with a respectable 46 catches, 515 yards and a TD in 12 games. Now I'm betting the Over on all his projected futures for this season at DraftKings -- 70.5 receptions, 850.5 receiving yards and 5.5 receiving touchdowns.
