We're already past the midseason point I usually do this almost every year around week 8 or 9 in late October. Now it's December which team will be in good form heading into the playoffs? who will make a playoff push? Any team, darkhorse with good value?
I'll be back
Looking at division futures..
Don't see anything particularly noteworthy to take a chance on. Seems like most of the teams on top of their division will clinch..
I see no chance of Chargers catching up, AFC west is virtually locked up, a 3 game lead for Mahomes is basically 6. Was wrong about the Chiefs regressing. They retooled nicely. Had Chargers winning the division before the season but they are too snakebitten .
Vikings seem to have a lock on the NFC North with a 5 game lead. Had the Vikings beating out Lions for the division but didn't expect it to be a 5 game lead. Lions +5500 to win division seems like a fun value bet to root for, Vikings boom or bust play gives it a slight thought but I don't expect Vikings to go 0-5 rest of the way. They just need to win 1 more and it's basically a wrap.
Titans basically got their division giftwrapped. That division is bad.. only the Jags pose some sort of threat. Had Colts to win it but they unraveled surprisingly. Titans already took care of Colts by sweep and that tie game may hurt them. Titans magic number is 9. They just need to sweep Houston and split or sweep Jags and that's a wrap they win by virtue of division record in case of a tie.
Same view on the Bucs with NFC South theyre just as bad as AFC South. Bucs can screw up but just take care of their division opponents, go in playoffs with a losing record at 8-9 and they're still in by virtue of how awful that division is. Had Bucs winning the division but not at potentially below .500 record. Don't get cute with those Panther +1300 and Falcon +1400 division futures. NFL still wants the old golden boy in. Panthers do have the slight leg up beating the Bucs earlier but they will need to sweep the Bucs and win a couple more games for them to have a chance. Bucs vs 49ers will be a crucial game for Panther's chances. Saints are done after getting swept by Bucs
I'll be back
Lol Don't tell that to a Ravens fan .. 
But pssst. Your right that's some decent value for a contender. Perhaps the first Super Bowl loser to make a return trip since the Bills?
The first Superbowl loser to make a return trip since the Bills? Did you forget about the Pats losing to the Eagles and coming back the next season to win it all vs the Rams? The Patriots were the first Superbowl losers to win the Superbowl the following season since the 1972 perfect season Dolphins..
that's true the Pats did lose a superbowl then came back to win it again. but they also won the previous super bowl before losing that one. that was like a sandwich loss. noticed that but didn't really count it. i'm thinking more in line with the 90's Bills, 80's Broncos, 70's Vikings. no prior Super bowl wins, but make it 2 consecutive and lose a super bowl.
@Digitalkarma
Ok I see what you mean..I kind of forgot about the young Elway Broncos getting crushed in 2 straight Superbowls..( I forgot that it was consecutive Superbowls) It would be rough for Joe Burrow to lose in 2 straight Superbowls but it does happen of course At 12-1 there would be good value with the Bengals to win it all..
I was able to get the Bills vs Eagles Superbowl before the season at 65-1 but truth be told I did get that prediction from Aaron Schatz from Football Outsiders... He always has great podcasts before and during the season..
AFC North currently looks to be a 2 way race, but don't discount the other 2 teams.. with Lamar Jackson's injury and Bengals playing the toughest remaining schedule in the division its possible this could end up being a 3 maybe 4-way race for the division. there's not much value playing the Ravens (-120) or Bengals (+100) to win the division. however Browns +4000 and Steelers +5500 to win the division is interesting and maybe worth your while with Steelers offering the better bang for the buck. Dont have much confidence in Watson to turn Browns around suddenly. Ravens still have the inside track and control their own destiny with 4 of their remaining 5 games against the AFC North but it won't be quite that easy. the 2 games against Steelers will be key to their destiny. lose both times to Steelers and that likely closes the door to Ravens playoff hopes and opens things up for Steelers division title shot. Steelers probably have the easier road with 3 of their 5 remaining games at home. Browns have only 2 home games in their 5 games and will be at a disadvantage. Bengals having 3 home games could help them with their tough schedule but they are also better equipped to deal with it with the talent they have, having Buffalo at home helps tremendously. most likely the division will come down to Ravens @ Bengals in week 18. Had Ravens to win the division but when it comes to a do or die game against the Bengals in the final week i was hoping the Ravens wouldnt get into that situation. I think the Bengals will win the division a month from now.
NFC East will be a 2 way race between Eagles and Cowboys. even though Eagles are 2 games ahead , I think it will be very close. it may even take 14 wins to decide this division. their strength of schedules seem to be pretty much neck and neck although i think Eagles have it slightly easier compared to Cowboys. scheduling quirk could be a factor. EAgles got 3 straight road games coming up while Cowboys end their season with back to back road games. Cowboys +330 to win division seems to have some value but they will be playing pesky Titans and Commanders fighting for their playoff life. I will stick with the Eagles to clinch as this division usually has no repeat winners.
to be continued..
AFC East is a bit interesting to me now with Von Miller out for the season. It's looking like a 3-way between Bills, Dolphins and Jets. The division still sets up nicely for the Bills to succeed. Take care of the division and they will most likely win it. They get the benefit of having all 3 of their division opponents at home but the most important ones will be the next two against the Jets and Dolphins whom they've already lost to. These are must win games for Bills. Bills also get a tough one at Cincinnati, that game could also shape the Bills path to winning. The biggest threat to the Bills are the Dolphins. Dolphins schedule looks a bit rough with the next 2 on the road and one more road game later. 3 of next 5 will be on the road but most of the opponents they will face are winnable games. the biggest challenge will be the Bills and Patriots on the road. Dolphins are notorious for being bad in cold weather but if they can overcome that obstacle then Dolphins +375 to win the division might be worth a stab. Jets have a bit more hurdles to overcome as they are 2 games down to the Bills. Jets probably have the easier schedule of the three but 3 of the next 5 games are on the road. if Jets can sweep the Bills then that will open up some doors for them. if they lose then they are most likely out of the division race. i would not recommend taking Jets to win the division
NFC West will be a two way race between 49ers and Seahawks. I am shocked that 4 of the last 5 games will be at home for the Seahawks. If they can take care of business at home they will be in great shape. the only tough games on their slate are 49ers and Chiefs. 49ers have the edge in conference record so Seahawks will need to win all the remaining NFC games to have a chance. Beating the Chiefs would be nice too but lets be realistic it may not happen. Then there is the Jimmy G injury can 49ers sustain their level of play on offense and rest on the strength of their defense to carry them through? They certainly could but they got some pesky teams coming up in hot Washington team and ugly Bucs that could pose a defensive challenge to Brock Purdy. I think the NFC West will be won by the slimmest margin i predict the winner will finish 11-6 but could also see both teams have identical records and it comes down to tiebreakers. 49ers have the edge right now but Seahawks +300 to win the division may be worth a shot if they can beat 49ers at home that will keep the race open.
next, Conference and Super Bowl futures
to be continued..
Personally i don't think there will be any changes to the division race but sometimes there will be a shocker thrown in there. Usually happens every year or other, so I will throw some on it based on the value..
These are the 3 plays I like..
Steelers to win division +5500
Dolphins to win division+375
Seahawks to win division +300
Nice if that hits! Yep I am familiar with Schatz. He has certainly been right so far with the way Bills and Eagles have looked this year. Nice calls. Hope injuries don't derail the Bills season.. lost Von Miller and Micah Hyde already. Will hurt them a bit but certainly won't kill them. AFC / NFC is wide open again maybe not quite like last year not where no team really dominated. I don't think it's as simple as Chiefs/Bills then there's everyone else like I heard earlier in the season. Eagles record is impressive tho we shall see if they can reach the Super Bowl path seems clearer by the week
My top 4 midseason teams based on value:
1.) Ravens +2200 to win SB, +1100 to win AFC
The Ravens have all the pieces minus wide receiver to be a dark horse candidate and make a playoff run. Health has been an issue for this team since winning the Super Bowl 10 years ago. Luckily, this year there hasn't been too many season-enders for them, losing Rashod Bateman sucks and it has shown in the passing game they haven't found a suitable replacement. Lamar Jackson should be back. They should get a key piece back in the secondary with Marcus Williams who was balling before his injury. JK Dobbins should be back as well although not quite the same player but depth wise it would be great to have him back in the rotation. With a tandem of JK, Gus and Kenyan Drake the Ravens will be hard to stop on the ground. Defensively, if the Ravens can clean up their mistakes and miscues then they are a top 10 defensive unit. The one lingering question about Lamar Jackson will always be can he win more than one playoff game...
2.) Bengals +1300 to win SB, +650 to win AFC
Bengals are rounding into form again looking like the Bengals team that went on a Super Bowl run last season. The Bengals have one of the best recieving groups in the league. Their running game will always be hit and miss with Joe Mixon but the Bengals are proficient passing that it doesn't matter too much. The offensive line which was their biggest issue last year and earlier on in the season is protecting Burrow better now. Adding Alex Cappa and Ted Karras is starting to pay dividends. Defensively, it's still the same cast of players but they've improved their chemistry over last season and are much more stingier unit. This is a better Bengals team than last year. We can no longer say they were only good because they played an average strength of schedule. This year theyre opponents are tougher and not many teams can say they beat Mahomes 3 times in a row. Sure they got a little lucky in the past, but this year they are earning their stripes. This will be a dangerous wildcard team look out Buffalo..
3.) 49ers to win the SB +1000, +425 to win the NFC
We won't know if Jimmy Garopolo will be healthy enough to return for the playoffs. Luckily for him it wasn't a season ending injury. Presumably if the timetables match up, Jimmy G should be back for the divisional round playoffs or maybe NFC Championship(but kinda seems pointless to throw him out there in the Lions den that late.) They could have a dillema on their hands when that time comes. Do they stick with Purdy or let Jimmy take over? Probably won't matter because 49ers defense is on another level right now. Maybe this might be the best defense since 2015 Broncos or maybe even better. 49ers futures is worth a stab based on defensive merit alone even if their QB situation is a little dicey right now
4. Bucs to win the SB +2500, +950 to win NFC
Reminds me a bit like 2020 when the Bucs struggled halfway thru the season to find their chemistry but that's where the similarities may end. I don't expect the Bucs to win out and get hot like they did in 2020. The main reason being Injuries have affected this team's continuity and the coaching has also noticeably been suspect. Does that mean Brady can't get it going when the playoffs come around? Brady certainly still has the offensive talent around him to get some kind of spark going but will it be a little too late? Just like the Niners, Bucs have a defense that's still capable of providing a stiff challenge to opposing offenses. However, if we're comparing them to the Bucs 2020 squad then this Bucs team is a bit weaker by comparison in all 3 phases. If the Bucs were to go on a playoff run again, then their defense will have to carry them and hope it buys them enough time for their offense to get hot, just like in 2020. Time is ticking..
I hear ya dio. Just don't go crazy with these bets and look at them as a bonus if they hit and maybe brag about it a little for looking like a genius lol then forget about it the next day when making the next degen bets .
Honorable mention
5.) Cowboys to win the SB +700, +285 to win NFC
Good running game with Pollard, and defense when they're focused. Micah is a beast. Still don't know how I feel about this team in a playoff setting. Feels like a bonehead play by Dak or dumb playcall from McCarthy can ruin their Super Bowl dreams. Not enough value to take them at the moment but right now Cowboys are balling and worth considering. I feel like they could be a dangerous team that may be peaking at the right time.
That rounds up my top 5.
I'm already on Ravens futures , added some more at 22/1 odds and to win AFC. Will prob put some on Bucs but only to win NFC. Maybe get some 49ers too
Don't say I didn't warn ya Buffalo... 
Now Can they beat Mahomes 4 in a row?? 
couldnae have guessed miami woul crash....hurt bad...last four should be last four,,,
i like cincin ti beat chiefs with or without homeboy..and rookie qbs can win under pressure with a d saying just play laddie u fek up we fet nugget bak...
philly...,,,mmm
good luck..should gbe tough decisions...
horse faced pidgeoned toed cnt...
..no you obvs,,
btowns ya vacc
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