When February arrived and the Super Bowl was over, we all had a brief moment of depression as we realized that was the last football that we were going to see for a whole six months — a half of a year! We were bummed. Really, really bummed.
Yeah, March brought us March Madness with college basketball, April brought us the start of Major League Baseball season, and then we got to May and June, and we were all dragging from sports boredom. July was a little bit better with the spirit of the Fourth among us the entire month, and we were all buzzin’ a little bit on the 4th of July weekend with our choice of alcoholic beverages.
And then arrived Monday, July 22: The official beginning of training camp for the National Football League — instant excitement just explodes in the air!
This is called football fandom, ladies and gentlemen, and we’re just right around the corner from being able to embrace it on a full-scale basis. Well, at least for another cycle of six months — but it’s six months that we don’t have to go without football! That’s the important thing here! No more empty voids, no more pointless Sunday conversations, no more boredom! Football is back!
The official regular-season opener for the NFL is just a month and some change away on September 5, with the opening game being a power rivalry between the Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:20 PM ET and the game will be nationally televised on NBC.
As far as Super Bowl LIV is concerned and who the favorite is to take the 2019 Lombardi Trophy, the New England Patriots are (of course) the top-dogs with the odds-makers. Was anybody really expecting anything different?
According to online sportsbook Bovada, the New England Patriots are the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions with a figure of +700. Afterwards, we have the Kansas City Chiefs in 2nd place with +800 odds, followed by the New Orleans Saints in 3rd at +850. The Los Angeles Rams take us to the No. 4 position with a figure of +900, and the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns are in a tie for 5th place at +1200. In the 7th spot, we have the Indianapolis Colts placed at +1400, and then the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles are in a tie for No. 8 at +1600. The Green Bay Packers round out the top 10 list at +1800 odds.
EXPECT MORE OF THE USUAL
They might have lost their superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski to retirement and their wide receivers might be on the weaker end, but the New England Patriots (+700) are still the favorites in the odds to take Super Bowl LIV. And why shouldn’t they be?
They’re coming into a new season fresh off of a sixth Super Bowl championship and 11-5 double-digit winning season with the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick duo, and as long as they have those two at the helm, the Patriots will always enter new campaigns as the top-dog favorite. As far as Brady himself is concerned, he seems to be the only one who has taken out ‘Father Time’s’ undefeated streak, so retirement will have to take him out. Otherwise, expect New England to always be in the mix for the Super Bowl.
As far as betting is concerned, they’re favorite odds of +700 to win the Super Bowl and the -800 figure to make the playoffs, there isn’t any value whatsoever with the New England Patriots. As far as their OVER/UNDER, on the other hand, there is some profitability for them to hit over 11 wins at -130. So if you’re going to take any bet with New England, go ahead and take that one.
TOO MUCH SWAG TO DENY
The Cleveland Browns (+800) have been the laughing stock of the National Football League since the franchise launched their second stint in 1999, but it looks like those days may be gone. As a matter of fact, it looks like they already are.
After a magical season would see them finish with a 7-8-1 tally, the Browns are now ready to compete (yes, really) — with both a full-season with second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield and with star-power such as wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. If the Browns can finish 7-8-1 without as much talent as they have now, you have to think Cleveland could very well snag the AFC North championship in 2019 — who thought we would be saying that now?
But they’re for real, and you have marvel at the product that they have on the field. After just one season on the field, Baker Mayfield has gone from rookie to franchise quarterback. With that being the case, general manager John Dorsey went full-scored earth during the offseason to shift them to ‘win-now’ mode.
They would go out and make an absolute blockbuster power move by trading with the New York Giants for Odell Beckham Jr., pairing him with former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry — obviously providing massive toys to choose from for Mayfield. On top of that, the Browns would also go out and pick up star running back Kareem Hunt, and what makes that move even sweeter is that he’s No. 2 on the depth chart behind their top-guy Nick Chubb. Not only is the passing game going to be great, but their running game has the potential for dominance as well. The Browns’ offense is going to be so potent and so fun to watch and comes along with too much swag for anyone to deny.
This should also show you how good the offseason was for Cleveland: Despite the Browns bringing in a rookie head coach in Freddie Kitchens, the odds-makers still have the Cleveland Browns high on the list, tied for fifth as a matter of fact with the Chicago Bears — a team who dominated their way to 12-4 in 2018. With this being the case, the +1200 figure might not have much value and profitability, but that just proves my point: You can’t deny the swag. Nobody.
Besides the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, let’s get into a few other favorites to take Super Bowl LIV, and then we’ll go over the entire field of 32 teams.
It’s football season, ladies and gentlemen! Fans rejoice!
You can read more in-depth about each team in my division previews, as well as my winner and long-shot predictions for each division champion:
Coming in as the second favorite overall is the Kansas City Chiefs and their explosive offense led by MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Last year, the Chiefs’ offense was incredible, tallying the No. 1 ranking on that side of the ball with a number of 35.3 points-per-game. Mahomes’ video game-like year put 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdowns on the stat sheet, and that would bring KC the 3rd overall ranking in pass yards in the league at 309.7-per-game. That alone will once again make Kansas City elite, put them into the playoffs, and linger at the top of their division. (Especially since Tyreek Hill is safe from any punishment.)
However, they’ll have issues. As I mentioned in my AFC West preview, the Chiefs will have issues with the running game after the loss of Kareem Hunt and no real stability at the position right now. That’s going to hold them back a little this season, but that’s not all. Their defense had issues last season, and it will have issues again. To make matters worse, they’re actually ranked in the lower end of the league placed in 24th with an average of 26.3 points against.
Luckily for the Chiefs though, that’s where their potent offense comes in. Like I said, that alone will put Kansas City back in the postseason. With that being said though, I have the Los Angeles Chargers winning the division, but by a hair. I think KC’s defense holds them back just slightly, especially considering L.A. has a top 10 defense.
Being bounced out of the playoffs due to a massively controversial call is sure to give the New Orleans Saints a chip on their shoulder entering the new campaign. With that being said, you can expect plenty of dominating football from them in 2019. And they certainly have the tools to do it.
First off, they have a massively potent offense, and unlike the Kansas City Chiefs, the Saints have it together in both the passing and running games. On the passing end, Drew Brees would throw for nearly 4,000 yards with a 3,992 tally, and he’d also add 32 touchdowns to that number. On the ground, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II would be a sweet one-two punch with a total of 1,528 yards combined, and they’d also punch in 20 touchdowns together. Their number would tally in the top 10, ranking as the 6th best rushing game in the NFL. Overall, the New Orleans Saints ranked as the No. 3 best offensive team and they would hit the 30 threshold in scoring average with 31.5 points-per-game. You can expect this offense to be just as potent in 2019, if not more with the previously mentioned chip on their shoulder. (Make fun of me for using sports cliches if you want, but it’s true.)
On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints might not have the most elite defense, but it’s certainly good enough to do the job. Last season, they would place 14th in the National Football League with a number of 22.1 points against-per-game. The defense will be led by linebacker Demario Davis (110 tackles, 5 sacks), defensive end Cameron Jordan (12 sacks, 49 tackles) and safety Chris Banjo (2 interceptions, 10 tackles).
In my eyes, I actually see the New Orleans Saints as the better pick to win Super Bowl LIV over the Kansas City Chiefs, and I’m sure a lot of other people would agree with me. Nothing against Kansas City, but the Saints are just more of a balanced team. You can expect another strong season from the ‘The Big Easy’.
The Los Angeles Rams come in as the defending NFC Champions, but if they hope to repeat that feat, they’re going to have to face some challenges similar to what the Kansas City Chiefs are facing. Yeah, they have a massively potent offense, but they’re a bit questionable in the running game, and on top of that, they’re also in the lower end of the league when it comes to defensive rankings.
Starting out with the offense, particularly the quarterback position, there’s no problem here at all. Jared Goff had an incredible season last year, putting up 4,688 yards and tallying up 32 touchdowns. He’ll be able to accomplish that again with weapon wide receivers Robert Woods (1,219 receiving yards) and Brandin Cooks (1,204 yards). The passing game, there’s no lost faith there.
However, there’s been some questions about the running game since Todd Gurley’s injury and how he was limited in the NFL Playoffs. Well, I have good news for Rams fans: Even if there is a problem with Gurley, I’m not seeing it being an issue for head coach Sean McVay. As I explained in my NFC West preview, McVay would bring in C.J. Anderson and would do magic with him in Gurley’s absence. With that being said, you can be sure that McVay already has a solid back up plan for the running back position, so I wouldn’t worry about it. McVay’s problem will be Los Angeles’ defense: They ranked 20th in the league last season with an average of 24.0 points against them-per-game, but again, with their potent offense, how much of an issue is it really? Plus, they did well against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
I have complete trust and confidence in Sean McVay, Jared Goff and their entire offense, the potency of it is undeniable and it will make their defense a non-factor in the vast majority of games like it was last season. With that being said, you can expect another explosive season from the Los Angeles Rams — another explosive season that could lead them back into the Super Bowl, repeating that feat we discussed earlier.
Similar to what the Cleveland Browns could do this season, the Chicago Bears brought back their swag in full-force in 2018 with a 12-4 regular-season record that would crown them the NFC North champions. Similar to the New Orleans Saints, you can expect Chicago and their beautiful lock-down defense to come into the new campaign with a chip on their shoulder. Get ready for some football, Chi-Town.
Here’s the kicker with the Bears, and why I love them so much entering 2019: Not only do they have the best defense in the National Football League, but they also have an elite offense to go along with it. Now granted, their quarterback Mitchell Trubisky isn’t the best, he would only lead Chicago to the 21st best passing game in the league, but overall, there’s been a lot of success. In the statistical category of points-per-game, they put up an average of 26.3, and that places in the top 10 with the No. 9 ranking. I expect some improvement from this offense, so I expect a bit more potency to go along with their defense.
And speaking of that defense. Oh, that beautiful, beautiful defense. Seriously, Chicago’s defense is extraordinarily dominant and entertaining to watch. Last season, they would allow an elite 17.7 points against them-per-game, completely hammering their way to the postseason. Led by talent such as Roquan Smith (122 tackles, 5 sacks), Khalil Mack (12.5 sacks, 47 tackles) and Kyle Fuller (7 interceptions, 55 tackles), you can expect the Bears to once again be elite on the defensive side, and possibly repeat as the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL.
With that being said, the Chicago Bears have all of the tools to achieve a massively elite season. I understand why their odds aren’t higher because of their defeat in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs last season, but Chicago could legitimately make the distance in 2019. Go ahead and place a bet, those +1200 odds could become profitable. I’m seeing big things in the near future for Chi-Town.
A lot of people don’t remember this or really note it at all, but the Los Angeles Chargers nearly won the AFC West over the Kansas City Chiefs last season. They both had the exact same record of 12-4, and the only reason why Kansas City took the AFC West is because they had a better division record — this was with KC’s Patrick Mahomes having a historic season. This year, we may expect a change in hierarchy, and as a matter of fact, I predicted that the Chargers will win the AFC West. Why? Well, they’re the better team.
Unlike the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers bring in both an elite offense and defense from last season. On offense, in particular, quarterback Philip Rivers is still doing his thing, and last year, he was smoking with numbers of 4,308 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. That number would rank top 10 in the league with a 10th placement — Rivers had an average rate of 255.6 passing yards-per-game. The rushing game is just average with Melvin Gordon at the helm, but the Chargers do enough on the ground to get by. Overall, the offense is very potent, placing with a T-6 mark when the season ended to put them in the top 10 just right outside of the top 5. As long as Philip Rivers is leading things at the quarterback position, Los Angeles will always have a good offense, so you already know the drill for 2019.
When we shift to the defense, it’s more effectiveness and productivity from the Chargers. They sit with a top 10 defense that has them ranked 8th in the league, and they’re expected to do even more damage this year. And why wouldn’t they? Just look at the talent: Derwin James (105 tackles, 3.5 sacks), Melvin Ingram (7 sacks, 43 tackles) and Desmond King (3 interceptions, 61 tackles). Like I said, both the offense and defense is going to once again put in work this season.
Even though the Los Angeles Chargers are among the favorites to win Super Bowl LIV, they’re still floating under the radar among fans and the media, and also with the odds-makers a bit at +1600 odds. They have all of the tools to make a deep postseason run and to win a championship, proof of being elite on both offense and defense, loaded with talent all around. As a result, that +1600 figure can provide a lot of value and profitability. The Chargers are certainly my sleeper pick to surprise some people and hold up the Lombardi Trophy next February in South Beach — from Los Angeles to Miami winning championships, that’s pretty cool.
I understand they’re not the dominant Seattle Seahawks that we watched play just a few years ago, but they’re still a pretty good football team — a playoff football team. With that being said, definitely take advantage of their +3000 odds, there’s massive profitability and value here. The reasons why the Seahawks are my long shot: They always find a way to win, they always find a way to make the postseason, and they always have the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs. It never fails, their consistency never runs dry.
And statistically, they’re quite on point — on both offense and defense. On the offensive side of things, the passing isn’t that great with the numbers, but that’s because of quarterback Russell Wilson’s effectiveness on the ground. When you look at Seattle’s rushing attack, you actually see that they’re quite elite. Actually, they’re more than elite, they’re the best: They have the best rushing game in the league with a blazing tally of 160 rushing yards-per-game, this thanks to Wilson and Chris Carson’s hot tally of 1,151 rushing yards. When you crunch all of the figures together, they nearly crack the top 5 with a 6th place finish in the rankings overall in total offense, putting up an average of 26.8 points-per-game. A large part of the reason for the consistency: Russell Wilson and this Seattle Seahawks offense, led by head coach Pete Carroll.
Nope, nope. That’s not just it though. Even though the ‘Legion of Boom’ days are over, the Seahawks still do their thing on the defensive end as well. Last season, they would rank just outside of the top 10 in 11th with 21.7 points against them-per-game. They would take some major hits in the offseason losing Frank Clark and Earl Thomas, granted, but no matter how the roster looks, the Russell Wilson/Pete Carroll tandem always figures out a way to win. I don’t expect 2019 to be any different. As a result, they’re my long shot, there’s just way too much value here to pass up on.
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