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NFL bettors now have a clearer picture as to how the 2022-23 NFL season could play out with the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror. The Super Bowl LVII odds have already adjusted due to the betting market’s belief of how each team did. While the needle didn’t move much for some teams at DraftKings Sportsbook, others noticeably got steamed or tumbled. Though early, it’s never too early to get the best of a number. While none of my suggestions down below deserve to have mortgage payments thrown at them, each warrants a beer money investment at the very least. I had eyes for two of the three suggestions last season (Baltimore/Buffalo), but injuries and/or late-game variance ultimately prevented them from a shot at winning it all. The GMEN suggestion stems from my uncanny stubbornness that still believes the roster is loaded with talent that’s simply been held back by a couple of absurdly inept coaching staffs. Hopefully that’s no longer the case with another new sheriff in town. Fingers crossed the third times the charm because that 100-1 dart throw would sure make Spring Break vacation a whole heck of a lot more interesting! The following are my early favorite, underdog, and longshot selections to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Super Bowl Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Buffalo Bills +650
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +700
Los Angeles Rams/Kansas City Chiefs/Green Bay Packers +1000
San Francisco 49ers +1400
Los Angeles Chargers/Denver Broncos +1600
Cleveland Browns/Dallas Cowboys +1700
Cincinnati Bengals +1800
Indianapolis Colts/Baltimore Ravens +2200
Arizona Cardinals +2500
Tennessee Titans +2800
Miami Dolphins +3000
Las Vegas Raiders/Philadelphia Eagles +3500
New England Patriots +4000
Minnesota Vikings +4500
New Orleans Saints +5000
Pittsburgh Steelers/Washington Commanders +6500
Seattle Seahawks/Chicago Bears/New York Giants/Carolina Panthers +10000
Jacksonville Jaguars +13000
Atlanta Falcons/New York Jets/Detroit Lions +15000
Houston Texans +20000
Favorite to Bet: Buffalo Bills +650
I’m still clueless as to how the Buffalo Bills allowed for Patrick Mahomes and Co. to get into field goal range with just 13 ticks remaining in regulation of their Division Round playoff battle. The end result was one of the worst against the spread losses of my sports betting career. BillsMafia currently possess some thickened skin having been bounced by the Chiefs in the playoffs each of the last two seasons. They also coughed up a 16-0 third quarter lead at Houston only to fall 22-19 in overtime back in the 2020 wild-card game. The Bills have won the AFC East each of the last two seasons, and they’re currently installed -175 chalk at DK to take it down a third straight time.
Upper management took care of its three biggest needs in the draft selecting Florida CB Kaiir Elam in the first round, Georgia RB James Cook in the second round, and Boise State WR Khalil Shakir in the fifth. It also dramatically improved its kicking game by drafting San Diego State P Matt Araiza. Now in the fifth year of his NFL career, Josh Allen is going to be the premiere quarterback to draft in fantasy leagues. Though KC originally hit the board as the favorites to win it all, it’s the Bills that currently sit atop the heap. While they’ll have to deal with yet another first place schedule, this team has the “it factor” in all three phases to be the last team standing. Hopefully the coaching staff learned from its mistakes and doesn’t get in the way this time!
Underdog to Bet: Baltimore Ravens +2200
Even before the regular season kicked off, the Baltimore Ravens found themselves sitting behind the proverbial 8-ball. RB J.K. Dobbins and CB Marcus Peters didn’t take a single regular season snap. Running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill were also lost early on, while OT Ronnie Stanley and Marlon Humphrey were lost later in the year. Bottom line, the injury bug was none too kind. Though John Harbaugh was forced to work with what can only be described as a skeleton crew, the Ravens just missed out on punching a playoff ticket. It’s rare that you see a team suffer debilitating injuries like Baltimore did in two successive seasons. Should that notion hold true in 2022-23, the Ravens are going to be a pain for every team that stands in their way.
GM Eric DeCosta has been applauded for churning out yet another impressive draft; something that’s become as commonplace as the sun rising and setting each day. Though Lamar Jackson wasn’t thrilled with the shipping of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the desert, he’ll benefit greatly from the pair of rookie tight ends brought in should they take notes on how Mark Andrews gets the job done. Snagging S Kyle Hamilton at No. 14 was possibly the coup of the draft! Trading back into the first round to shore up the offensive line with C Tyler Linderbaum was also very impressive! Then there were the additions of LB David Ojabo and OT Daniel Faalele in the second and fourth rounds respectively. Making this investment all the more lip smacking is the fact that the Ravens get the benefit of running up against a fourth place schedule. I’m extremely bullish on the purple and black heading into 2022-23!
Longshot to Bet: New York Giants +10000
Those attacking the NFL odds on a weekly basis will get a bird’s eye view of just how much a quarterback whisperer Brian Daboll truly is when he roams the sidelines as an NFL head coach for the first time in his career. Do you remember how bad Josh Allen was his rookie year? How about 12 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns bad! Well, this is a make or break campaign for Daniel Jones with new GM Joe Schoen electing to not exercise his fifth-year option. That means it’s a crap or get off the pot kind of season for the former Duke Blue Devil who’s failed to show why the previous managing team elected to select him with the sixth overall pick back in 2019; a move that had many an NFL pundit scratching their collective head. NY’s offensive roster has been loaded with talent for years. Injuries and horrendous play-calling held it back, but that shouldn’t be the case this season. If Jones is unable to get the job done, Daboll won’t hesitate to look the way of veteran Tyrod Taylor whose shown time and time against that he’s readily able to handle a QB1 workload. Hopefully the injury bug stays away if in fact his services are necessitated.
Evan Neal was brought in to shore up the offensive line, while Kayvon Thibodeaux will be asked to put a spark into a punchless pass rush (No. 22). More help was added in the draft along the offensive line as well as the wide receiver, tight end, and secondary positions. Also getting the advantage of running up against a last place schedule, the GMEN are once again favored to bring up the rear of the division standings (+650) at DraftKings Sportsbook, and they’re enormous 50-1 dogs to win the NFC. With a 7-game season win total and “No” a -280 favorite for NY to qualify for the playoffs, linemakers have bearish expectations for this team. But believe you me, all the ingredients are there for this team to pull a worst-to-first and shock the NFL betting community in a big way. Get a piece of this offering right now and strap in once the team gets out to a great unforeseen start!
