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Jackson takes a look at the top NFL betting picks and 2022 futures bets for team wins totals. He gives his betting picks for Eagles, Lions, Steelers and Bears.
The 2022 NFL season is inching closer, but there’s still time to find value with win total wagers before the football year kicks off. Obviously, we haven’t seen any team play as the fully equipped 2022 version of themselves, but we can project which team will be great, which teams will be putrid, and which teams will likely fall somewhere in the middle.
Oddsmakers tend to know what they’re talking about, but there’s always room for value if you search hard enough for it. Whether a team made huge acquisitions, lost several key players, or failed to do much of anything this offseason, many organizations will look drastically different in 2022. Some win totals haven’t risen or dropped enough, while others have risen or dropped too much. This is where we take advantage as sports gamblers.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the top NFL team futures to attack in 2022. Win totals are according to DraftKings Sportsbook
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Chicago Bears Under 6.5 Wins (-190)
Obviously, the betting odds are leaning toward the under here, but the bet is so strong that it's worth laying some money on for a multitude of reasons. For one, Chicago fell under 6.5 wins last season, finishing 6-11. With that in mind, did the Bears’ front office do enough this offseason to expect improvement? No.
Chicago failed to bring in a true No. 1 wide receiver for Justin Fields. Darnell Mooney had a fantastic year in 2021, but that campaign was mostly built on volume and he profiles as a No. 2. The additions of Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle, and Equanimeous St. Brown don’t move the needle for this Chicago passing game. Additionally, Fields was sacked 36 times a season ago, and the offensive line didn’t receive any drastic upgrades. Ultimately, it’s tough to envision much of an offensive improvement from the team that scored just 18.6 points per game (sixth-fewest) in Fields’ rookie season.
Chicago has remained at least somewhat competitive over the last few seasons thanks to its strong defense. That’s also not going to happen this season. Khalil Mack, Eddie Goldman, and Danny Trevathan are just the most notable defensive starters who departed Chicago, but the team lost a few more guys and lost some key depth. There’s no way to expect the defense to improve after losing key starters, especially one of the best players in the league in Mack.
When you also consider fellow NFC North foes Minnesota and Detroit have seemingly improved this offseason, it just unlikely Chicago can come close to winning seven games. After all, this is a complete rebuild, and although the Bears won’t actively be trying to lose games, the eye is on the future. Expect a top-five pick for this franchise in the 2023 NFL draft.
Bears Record Prediction: 4-13
Detroit Lions Over 6.5 Wins (-125)
This bet goes hand in hand with the Bears under pick. It’s time for Detroit to emerge from absolute mediocrity at the bottom of the NFC North after a strong offseason. The biggest additions were Jameson Williams, Aiden Hutchinson, and DJ Chark and there weren’t any notable departures.
D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson are entering their superprime, and the offensive line will continue to mature, and blossom into one of the league’s top units. The Lions began to play competitive football as the year unfolded, and Amon-Ra St. Brown showed he was one of the steals of the 2021 draft.
Can’t wait for more moments like this out of D’Andre Swift this season. #OnePride pic.twitter.com/egtDIzzdGp
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) August 25, 2022
Sure, we all love to scrutinize Jared Goff, but when the proper pieces are in place, he’s proven he can win games. Detroit won’t turn into a Super Bowl contender overnight, but it will turn into a formidable squad that’ll finish right around the 500 mark.
Lions Record Prediction: 9-8
Philadelphia Eagles Over 9.5 Wins (-150)
Philadelphia won nine games a season ago, and it's well documented how weak the NFC has gotten after the handful of elite teams. Jalen Hurts is heading into year three, and his top weapons are A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. The offense is inarguably better so why can’t the Eagles improve but just one win? The defense also saw upgrades with Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and James Bradberry. Bradberry and Darius Slay form one of the top corner duos in the league and the defensive front should be strong.
AJ Brown silky smooth on the release and cut against All-Pro CB Xavien Howard.#Eaglespic.twitter.com/P6Pp3CewfW
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) August 25, 2022
The rest of the NFC East is either simply bad, has holes, or has a ton of concerns, too. Washington has a Carson Wentz problem, the Giants won’t get drastically better overnight, and Dallas is already dealing with offensive line injuries and traded its top receiver in Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. Take the Eagles on the over 9.5 wins, and feel free to sprinkle a few units on them taking the NFC East crown, too.
Eagles Record Prediction: 11-6.
Pittsburgh Steelers over 7.5 Wins (+100)
The AFC is a juggernaut and the Steelers will head into 2022 with Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett as the starter at QB, but betting against Mike Tomlin having a losing season has been the right move for the last 15 seasons. If Pittsburgh was able to avoid losing seasons under Mason Rudolph, Duck Hodges, and the ghost of Ben Roethlisberger in the past, why can’t we expect the same thing here?
TJ Watt Making Sack History! (22.5) #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/5fK1o9g0O6
— BlitzVideos✨ (@BlitzVideos) March 10, 2022
The defense is still loaded, and Tomlin is one of the elite coaches in the NFL. The Steelers will get to play Cleveland without Deshaun Watson and squares off with Atlanta, Carolina, and New York (Jets) in very winnable games. The elite defense and coach will find a way to win a few games they shouldn’t, so this is a bet worth taking. Let’s roll with the steel curtain one more time in our bet slips.
Steelers Record Prediction: 9-8
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