“Expert NFL Futures Predictions with Value for Betting Ahead of Kickoff”

Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos fan holds a sign in reference to quarterback Bo Nix (10) (not pictured) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

• One week from today, we will see NFL futures odds start changing dramatically, as each team and player begins to reveal what they have in store for the 2024-25 NFL season
• NFL futures betting does not stop by any means after the season kicks off, but it does get a little tougher to follow with such big swings in the odds each week
• Check out the 9 NFL futures bets our experts are calling their favorites while the lines are still stagnant

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We’re just one week away – or less, depending on when you view this article – from kicking off the 2024-25 NFL season! That means you only have seven more days (or less) to bet NFL futures at their current lines. While there will, of course, be some constant NFL futures movement between now and kickoff, none will be significant, barring some kind of big injury.

That all changes once Week 1 kicks off and we start to see what each team has in store for the 2024-25 NFL season. So, if you think certain teams/players are being undervalued right now, don’t expect to be able to get a very good price on any of their futures after their Week 1 reveal. Some of our experts, myself included, have put together our favorite NFL futures bets that are available right now.

NFL Futures Bets from Experts

If you’d like to read each expert’s analysis on why they love the NFL futures bets above, you can read on below!

Matt McEwan: Over on Bo Nix’s Passing Yards

Just in case you don’t want to simply Bolieve me on this one, here’s why I love this prop: In Sean Payton’s 19 years of coaching in the NFL, here are how his offenses ranked in passing yards: 13th, 8th, 6th, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 4th, 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 5th, 12th, 7th, 19th, 32nd, and 24th. To summarize, that’s five of 19 seasons where his offense was outside of the top ten in passing yards, and only eight of 19 where they were outside of the top five. In case you’re wondering, that’s extremely impressive.

Yes, Payton did have Drew Brees from 2006-2020, which accounts for 15 of his 19 seasons. So, I do appreciate the arguments that it was Brees who should get credit, but I also respectfully disagree with them. (To be clear, Brees deserves a ton of credit for those insane numbers, but so does Payton.)

Let’s take a quick look at Drew Brees before Sean Payton. From 2001-2005, Brees was a Charger and he was their starting QB for four of those five seasons. He never threw for more than an average of 223.5 yards per game in any of those seasons. Brees never averaged less than 266.1 passing yards per game with Payton until his final season in the league, when his arm was just simply dead.

I also want to go back to who Payton’s quarterback was prior to becoming the head coach of the Saints and uniting with Brees: Kerry Collins. Payton spent three seasons as the Giants’ offensive coordinator and in his first year calling their offense, they not only went to the Super Bowl, but he made Kerry Collins look like a pretty damn good quarterback. In Collins’ five previous season, he averaged less than 202 passing yards per game in four of them. In 2002, his third and final year with Payton, Collins threw for 4,073 yards, which was the fourth-most in the NFL.

However, the last few years of Payton coaching in the NFL have shown us it is possible that his offense isn’t among the best in the league. But let’s take a look at the four seasons mentioned where his offenses finished outside of the top ten in passing, because I do feel context really matters in these cases:

1. 2000 New York Giants (13th in passing in his first season): Kerry Collins, in his first year with Payton, still threw for 3,610 yards.
2. 2020 New Orleans Saints (19th): dead-armed Drew Brees still threw for 2,942 yards in just 12 games, and Taysom Hill added 928 yards through the air; the team totaled 3,945 passing yards when adding Jameis Winston is as well.
3. 2021 New Orleans Saints (32nd): a checked-out Payton, who would “retire” after this season, had to deal with a QB room of Trevor Siemian, Jameis Winston, Tayson Hill, and Ian Book; yet, the team still totaled 3,437 passing yards that season.
4. 2023 Denver Broncos (24th): Russell Wilson, who Payton didn’t believe fit his system from Day 1, still threw for 3,070 yards in just 15 games, as Payton constantly criticized his offense’s ability to attack through the air; the team totaled 3,566 yards when you add in Jarrett Stidham’s few games.

I have bolded the yards in each instance to help highlight the fact that each season that wasn’t a success for Payton’s offense through the air, they still easily surpassed 3,015 yards, which is the extremely low total set for Bo Nix, a quarterback that everyone believes is a perfect fit for Payton’s system. The Broncos head coach was so bullish on Nix that he drafted him 12th-overall, after most sportsbooks’ odds said he was not going to be picked on the first night.

I simply don’t understand this line for Nix. Do sportsbooks think he’ll get benched? If you choose to start your rookie QB Week 1, you typically don’t turn back. But Nix also looked pretty good in the preseason. I honestly believe the only way Nix doesn’t go over 3,015 passing yards is if he gets hurt. (But Payton’s offense also specializes in getting the ball out of the QB’s hands quickly, and Nix has exceled at that in his college career as well, so he shouldn’t find himself taking too many hits either.)

• Pick: Bo Nix Over 3,015.5 Passing Yards at FanDuel (-112)

Zach Reger: Philadelphia Eagles to Win the NFC East

One of the craziest NFL stats should continue in 2024/25. The NFC East has not had a repeat champion since 2004. That means it has been 20 years since a team has won the NFC East in back-to-back years. Not only are the Eagles the favorite to win the division, but the Cowboys won it last year, so unless the Giants or Commanders can make some noise, the trend points to Philadelphia.

The Eagles started off great last season before faltering down the stretch and losing to the Bucs in the wild card. They responded by adding Saquon Barkley and Jahan Dotson to the offense while bolstering their defense. They brought in Vic Fangio to be their defensive coordinator and addressed their need in the secondary in the draft. Philadelphia’s first two picks were cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles are the most talented team in the division, and you aren’t paying too much juice at -125 to get them to win the East.

• Pick: Eagles to Win NFC East at DraftKings (-125)

Zach Reger: Brian Callahan Coach of the Year

When betting on the NFL Coach of the Year market, it is good to look at first-year head coaches. They are considered heavily for this award if they make a splash in their first season. Normally they take over for a team that underwhelmed the season before, so a quick turnaround is valuable in this market. Out of the first-year coaches, Brian Callahan has the best value at +2000 odds.

The Titans have overhauled their roster this offseason on both sides of the ball. On offense, they brought in Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd, and improved the offensive line. On defense, they traded for L’jarius Sneed and Ernest Jones. This team will look a lot different than they have in years past, and if Will Levis plays well the Titans will be able to win some games. Even with CJ Stroud and the Texans, the AFC South is a relatively open division and a lot can happen. If Tennessee makes a run at the division, Callahan’s odds will move quickly, and this will be a bet that makes you happy you placed it before the season and not during.

• Pick: Brian Callahan to Win NFL COY at DraftKings (+2000)

Sascha Paruk: Goff to Have More Passing Yards Than Stafford

The 29-year-old Goff has averaged just over 4,500 yards the last two seasons for a young Detroit offense that still has room to improve. The oft-injured and aging Stafford, whose receiving corps is proving to be one of the most-fragile in the league, hasn’t reached 4,500 yards since 2021 and has only done so once since 2013. There is an undeniably high ceiling for Stafford and the Rams passing game if Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Stafford, himself, can all stay healthy. But it’s been years since that happened and I was stunned that this line is almost a pick’em. 

• Pick: Jared Goff Over Matthew Stafford in H2H Regular Season Passing Yards at DraftKings (-120)

Brady Trettenero: Stroud to Have More Passing Yards Than Prescott

One of my favorite NFL futures bets for the 2024-25 season is in the regular season specials on DraftKings. I’m backing Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud to throw more regular-season passing yards than Dallas’ Dak Prescott in the H2H Matchups.

Stroud is coming off a historic rookie campaign in which he threw for 4,108 yards, the third-most ever by a rookie quarterback. Houston significantly upgraded Stroud’s receiving corps by trading for elite receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler, has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past six seasons.

Stroud now has a true #1 target to pair with promising young receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell. While Prescott is coming off another strong statistical season, the Cowboys did not make any major additions to their receiving corps. I believe Dak will still likely put up solid numbers, but his ceiling will be capped without an influx of playmakers to throw to.

Prescott’s 2023 season was an outlier in terms of passing efficiency. He set career highs in completion percentage (69.5%), touchdown passes (36), and passer rating (105.9). I expect some regression this season for Prescott, while Stroud should improve with more weapons and experience under his belt. Having a pass-catcher like Joe Mixon in the backfield certainly helps too.

With a nine-year gap in age, I’ll gladly take Stroud over Prescott at -120, and think this line should be closer to -200. Aside from the surrounding talent, Prescott is injury-prone and has taking a beating during his nine seasons. Younger athletes like Stroud tend to have more elastic muscle tissue that is more resistant to strains and tear, making him the safer bet.

• Pick: CJ Stroud Over Dak Prescott in H2H Regular Season Passing Yards at DraftKings (-120)

Adam Spencer: Over on Kyler Murray’s Passing TDs

I’m all-in on the new-look Cardinals this year. If Kyler Murray can stay healthy (which isn’t a guarantee), he should be able to easily surpass this number. Marvin Harrison Jr. could be one of the most-impactful rookie WRs in recent memory. Trey McBride is ready to cement his place as one of the top tight ends in the game. Let’s just hope Murray’s numbers don’t dip too much when the new Call of Duty game is released on Oct. 25.

• Pick: Kyler Murray Over 21.5 Passing TDs at DraftKings (+110)

Adam Spencer: Patriots to Win the Fewest Games in 2024-25

Believe teams when they tell you who they are. When the Patriots traded away Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, they basically held up the white flag for the 2024 season. This is going to be a year of evaluation as New England looks to Drake Maye as the QB of the future. There’s a good chance this team locks up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. The other contenders like Denver and Carolina have at least made moves this offseason indicating that they want to compete. My biggest concern for this bet is the Las Vegas Raiders, but I think even they have significantly more talent than the Patriots.

• Pick: New England Patriots to Win Fewest Regular Season Games at DraftKings (+320)

Ian Jones: Canales to Win NFL COY

Canales is already a step up on everybody by being a first year coach that’s inheriting a bad team and a quarterback with something to prove.

If the defense can again stay middling, the COY may come down to what kind of performance Canales can coax out of Bryce Young in Year 2. Knowing that he was responsible for the Geno Smith resurgence in ’22, I can absolutely see Canales being the QB whisperer Frank Reich was assumed to be.

If that’s the case, and the Panthers can sniff a .500 record in an NFC South that’s seemingly always questionable, the award may already belong to Canales. But if he parks his car in the owner’s spot or accidentally looks at David Tepper funny, all bets are off.

• Pick: Dave Canales to Win NFL Coach of the Year at DraftKings (+1800)

Ian Jones: Over on Kirk Cousins’ Passing Yards

Yes, yes, Kirk Cousins is coming off an Achilles tear and now finds himself in a perplexing QB situation. I’m willing to believe the Falcons saw a Rodgers/Love scenario and ran with it. If that’s the case, we’ll see Cousins right out of the gate.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how Cousins will do at full speed once the season is underway, though it sounds like he’s ready to go despite not taking preseason snaps. Knowing that, in 7 of 8 seasons prior to his injury, Cousins has thrown for nearly 4,100+ yards. All he does is throw!

The Falcons seemingly have a core of receivers that were waiting to be unleashed; Cousins just needs to be better than the Mariota/Ridder/Heineke triumvirate the Falcons suffered through the past two seasons. If that’s the case, 3,800+ yards is nothing… as long as he stays healthy!

• Pick: Kirk Cousins Over 3,800.5 Passing Yards at DraftKings (-115)

With the NFL season just around the corner, football fans and bettors alike are eagerly anticipating the start of another exciting year of gridiron action. As teams gear up for kickoff, many are already looking ahead to the future and placing their bets on which teams will come out on top.

For those looking to get a leg up on the competition, expert NFL futures predictions can provide valuable insights into which teams are poised for success in the upcoming season. By analyzing a variety of factors such as team rosters, coaching staffs, and past performance, experts can make informed predictions about which teams are likely to perform well and which ones may struggle.

One team that is generating a lot of buzz heading into the season is the Kansas City Chiefs. Led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are coming off a strong showing in last year’s playoffs and are considered by many to be one of the top contenders for the Super Bowl this year. With a high-powered offense and a solid defense, the Chiefs are a popular pick among experts to make a deep playoff run.

Another team that is garnering attention is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After winning the Super Bowl last season, the Buccaneers have managed to retain much of their championship-winning roster, including future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. With an experienced coaching staff and a talented group of players, the Buccaneers are expected to be a force to be reckoned with once again this year.

Of course, no discussion of NFL futures predictions would be complete without mentioning perennial contenders like the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills, and the Baltimore Ravens. These teams have consistently performed well in recent years and are expected to be in the mix for playoff spots once again this season.

When it comes to betting on NFL futures, it’s important to look for value in your wagers. This means finding bets that offer favorable odds relative to the likelihood of the outcome occurring. By doing your research and staying informed about the latest developments in the league, you can identify opportunities where the odds are in your favor and make smart bets that have the potential to pay off big.

In conclusion, expert NFL futures predictions can provide valuable insights for bettors looking to get ahead of the game before kickoff. By analyzing key factors and trends in the league, experts can make informed predictions about which teams are likely to succeed in the upcoming season. Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or just getting started, taking advantage of expert predictions can help you make smart bets and increase your chances of coming out on top when the final whistle blows.