The Nadu NFL Future You Have To Bet... This Team WILL Win It All
What a week we have coming up... Summer is over and FOOTBALL is here. We already have a week of college under our belt and this week the big boys come to play as the NFL season gets started this week.
I find it important each year to outline futures. I'm not a win total guy and find myself sparsely betting the divisional futures and or MVP odds. There was one number however that stuck out to me this season as we look for value in the champion outfights. Currently at Barstool Sportsbook, there's a ridiculous price, one that's too high on a team that's getting NO respect.
My pick to win the Super Bowl is.... at 20/1....
This price at the outset is too high as I said. The Bengals are the defending AFC champions. Led by MVP candidate Joe Burrow, they welcome back a high powered offense that was terrific to watch last season scoring 26.3 points per game. Burrow and his favorite WR Jamarr Chase were spectacular and became one of the best duos in the league. They also have a guy in Tee Higgins at WR2 that is a WR1 on some teams. The truth is this offense could've actually been better, had they blocked better upfront and ran the ball effectively. They have a really good stable of backs headed by Joe Mixon but the issue has been the offensive line for the last several years. Over the last 2 seasons, the line has been a disaster. Last season Burrow was sacked a league high 3.5 times per game and in 2020, it was just below that at 3. Throughout the entire season including the playoffs, Burrow was sacked 70 times. This year, with new reinforcements on the line, it's scary to think what Joey B and this offense can be. They went out and added guard Alex Cappa who previously played with the Bucs and also signed former Patriot, center Ted Karras. To help at right tackle, they poached La'el Collins from the Cowboys. They now not only have a very good starting group, but a solid group depth wise. PFF projects them as the 8th best offensive line in football, a huge jump from 2021. You win in this league in the trenches and the Bengals powers that been know that. This group has the potential to be the best offense in football. Also don't sleep on the addition of TE Hayden Hurst. Hurst is a capable guy off injury, but I think can give them 40-50 catches this season especially which how much attention Chase and Higgins may get.
The lost story last year in the Bengals improbable run though was how good this defense played. In 2020, they were a disaster giving up over 26 points a game. In 2021, they improved significantly dropping that to just above 21. The major strength of them was upfront, ranking 7th in the league in rushing defense. Trey Hendrickson has quietly become a really good sack man in the NFL and the addition of him paid big dividends after he had 17.5 sacks in total last year. They remain very good in the interior with big DJ Reader and BJ Hill who just stop the run and they also added Zach Carter in the draft. Carter, a product of Florida will give them a nice versatility and can play multiple positions upfront. The linebacker group is one of the better units in the league if they can stay healthy. Logan Wilson is a tackling machine and Germaine Pratt is as durable as it gets. The secondary does need to be better though, they struggled at times to get stops but the talent looks to be there with Jessie Bates, Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie. Keep an eye on new draft pick, Michigan DB Dax Hill. Hill can play both corner and safety and has some really wild physical tools. He's really fast for a safety and should provide an upside at other spots. He will at some point be a guy that can make a difference for them. All in all, there is no flashy name on this defense, but they are durable and solid. I'd expect no reason they aren't even better points per game wise.
Obviously the Bills are regarded as the best team in the AFC and probably in the NFL. But the value is too high on the Bengals at 20/1. They improved significantly where they were plagued last season. The Bills are really good, but some questions remain. Will Tre'Davious White be the same player on that defense post injury? Buffalo thought White may be ready for the season is now on the PUP list and will miss 4 games minimum. That means they will start a rookie at corner. There may be also be some questions upfront on the offensive line, plus can Gabriel Davis be a true WR2, I guess we will wait and see. Buffalo is very good and surely the best team on paper, but again the key word here is value.
Denver will be better and so will Tennessee and we can't forget Kansas City and Mahomes. But the Bengals to me are the best value. Tail or fade…
Give me Bengals 20/1 at Barstool Sportsbook