The NFL is back and it's time to figure out your best bets and longshots. There are an absurd amount of NFL futures markets to look over, so our team of NFL experts Tony Farmer, Nick Holz, and Mitch Bannon have compiled their top selections for the season.
You can go check out the Super Bowl futures or NFL MVP odds yourself if you want. But, here are our best bets and longshots for the NFL futures markets this year:
NFL Futures Best Bets
Eagles to win the NFC East (-120)
Pick From: Tony Farmer
The more I examine the Eagles, the more I like them to have a dominant season. The more I examine the Cowboys, the more concerned I am for them in 2024. With the Giants and Commanders strong contenders to finish under .500 this year, the NFC East feels like a 2-horse race and it seems like the horse named Dallas should be seeking veterinary care.
The Cowboys have a number of concerns this year including a lack of talent at running back, their worst offensive line in years, losing DC Dan Quinn to a division rival, and a controversial owner whose controversial budget decisions can rub players the wrong way. The Eagles, on the other hand, feel like an ascending team that has fixed its major weaknesses from last year and has two new stud coordinators in Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio.
Aidan Hutchinson OVER 10.75 Sacks (-102)
Pick From: Nick Holz
Aidan Hutchinson is the heartbeat of the Detroit Lions defense. The Plymouth, Michigan native finished second in the Heisman Trophy race in 2021 and has exceeded expectations in Honolulu blue. According to PFF, Hutchinson racked up an outrageous 121 total pressures last season. He finished with 14 sacks and an elite win rate of 21%. He was also first in expected sacks at over
16, and projects to continue his ascension this season.
I love his season-long OVER 10.75 sacks bet. Hutch simply needs to maintain his consistency to cash this bet.
Aidan Hutchinson is heating up at just the right time. 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2024
In his last two games: 5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 FF, 10 QB hits@FastTwitchDrink | @aidanhutch97 pic.twitter.com/YcoBWLZqkI
Josh Allen OVER 12.5 Interceptions (-106)
Pick From: Mitch Bannon
I don’t care what you think about Josh Allen. Despite everything amazing he does, this guy still throws a crazy amount of interceptions. He threw the second-most picks in football last year (18) and has averaged 15.6 picks per season over the last three years.
I don’t see why this line is now much LOWER, despite Allen losing his top receiver in Stefon Diggs. An erratic QB mixed with an inexperienced WR room is a great recipe for turnovers, so I’m taking Allen’s OVER 12.5 INTs pretty confidently. You can find this line over at FanDuel.
NFL Futures Longshots
Mike Macdonald To Win Coach of the Year (+1400)
Pick From: Tony Farmer
These odds have come crashing down, but at FanDuel you can still find some +1400 prices on Seattle’s new head coach to win Coach of the Year. Of course, this award doesn’t always go to a brand new head coach, but it does help the optics when a guy turns a team around in his first season. Sean McVay (2017), Matt Nagy (2018), Kevin Stefanski (2020), and Brian Daboll (2022) all won this award in their first season and Mike Macdonald may be next.
The Seahawks didn’t make the playoffs last season and that help sell the “turnaround” narrative usually required to win this award. Seattle has an explosive offense and Macdonald’s specialty is defense, so if he can fix that mess, he’ll be on the short list of coaches to win this award.
How ready does Mike Macdonald think they are to start the season?
— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) August 25, 2024
"I think we're right where we should be." pic.twitter.com/BqlvqInSmz
Aidan Hutchinson to Lead the League in Sacks (+1800)
Pick From: Nick Holz
Listen, I love this market and aim to capitalize when I see an oversight by the books. Hutchinson’s 18% pressure rate was equaled by only Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Josh Hines-Allen and Nick Bosa last season.
He finished 2023 strong with eight sacks in his final five games and will be even better in 2024. Hutchinson was top three in total pressures and win rate last year, and all we need is for him to turn a few more of his 28 quarterback hits into sacks to run this to the pay window. On top of that, the Lions play 14 of their first 15 games indoors this season, and project to have a top-tier offense.
The Michigan man will be able to fire off the football for a team that will likely be ahead in the majority of contests this season. That’s a recipe for success. Aidan Hutchinson to lead the league in sacks is one of my favorite bets of the season at +1800 odds.
Jordan Love To Lead NFL In Passing TDs (+1600)
Pick From: Mitch Bannon
I’ve got a sprinkle on Love to win NFL MVP, so why not double down with this longshot pick? In the second half of the 2023 season, Love passed for 20 touchdowns in his final nine games, completing 68% of his passes and throwing just three interceptions. That touchdown rate would’ve put Love on pace for a 37-touchdown season across the entire campaign — a mark that would’ve led the NFL in passing touchdowns last year.
With a deep receiving core and an average schedule difficulty, I think Love can keep that second-half heater going into 2024. He has a real shot to toss the most TDs in the NFL.
