BookMaker Sportsbook offers multiple types of futures wagering for myriad sports. These bets have a long-term settle date. You can gamble on team win totals, the AFC North Division winner, the American Football Conference winner, and of course the Super Bowl 50 winner.
Payouts for futures bets are usually better than even, or greater than +100, so the amount staked is much less than the potential payout. Of course, the inherent risk of futures betting is the unknown of the future.
BookMaker posts adjusted futures odds on team win totals, to win the AFC North Division, AFC and NFC, and Super Bowl 50 every day of the season.
AFC NORTH
The AFC North was so competitive in 2014 only one game separated the top three teams in the standings and they all went to the postseason. Expect more of the same in the fiercest division in football, with Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh duking it out for the top spot. Oh, and there’s Cleveland. The Bengals have assembled a talented roster that should win the division but need quarterback Andy Dalton to finally win a playoff game to save Marvin Lewis’ job. Baltimore will again be in the mix for a division title, but plenty of turnover doesn’t guarantee the Ravens anything. Pittsburgh won the division last season but the Steelers took a major hit with retirements on defense and those losses are too much for Ben Roethlisberger and the offensive group to overcome. Then we have Cleveland. They’re going about building a team the right way, however not having a quarterback and few playmakers on offense have them looking up at the rest of the division once again.
Here is a team by team breakdown with odds to win the division and victory total.
CINCINNATI BENGALS +214 – Wins O/U: 8.5
The Bengals have one of if not the most talented rosters in the NFL. The one question surrounding the team, however, is a recurring one: How will quarterback Andy Dalton play? The Bengals didn’t get much better this offseason but they certainly didn’t get any worse. Talk about status quo, this team is it, having won between nine and 11 games and making the playoffs in each of the past four years. Unfortunately they lost their postseason opener each time and many view 2015 as do-or-die season for Dalton and coach Marvin Lewis.
With all their talent the Bengals have yet to take the next step. Their roster is as good as any in the NFL. They added quality depth and this is a team with no serious regular season flaws. The Bengals finally get over the hump this season and win a playoff game too! An improved defense, more talent surrounding Dalton and the best run game in the AFC leads them to the AFC North title.
Prediction: 10-6
BALTIMORE RAVENS +145 – Wins O/U: 9
The Ravens have gotten to the point where they expect to make the playoffs, which they’ve done in six of the last seven seasons. However Joe Flacco and company will have a different look to their offense this year, with former Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman taking over as offensive coordinator for Gary Kubiak. They did lose some key pieces but made strong moves in the draft to cover. The Ravens simply roll on, having responded well to their losses. But they play in the most competitive AFC division where toughness is a necessity.
Baltimore is always tough on the defensive side, and despite losing a lot of talent on offense, having an above average quarterback should mask some of those issues. While the schedule looks tough, there are plenty of pieces in place for the unit to mesh and collect enough wins to scoot into the playoffs. Once in contention, Baltimore is always dangerous.
Prediction: 9-7
PITTSBURGH STEELERS +195 – Wins O/U: 8.5
The Steelers suffered some serious losses to their defense, too many to overcome in one offseason, and they take a step back missing the playoffs in 2015. Gone is longtime coordinator Dick LeBeau, who retired along with Troy Polamalu, Jason Worilds and Ike Taylor. Lineman Brett Keisel was also released, losing a huge piece of the team’s identity. The Steelers added to their D through the draft, but not enough talent to make an immediate impact to overcome the losses. And outside a massive extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger there wasn’t much happening in terms of free agency.
The Steelers were a resilient group last season, fighting their way to an 11-5 record and the division title. So much has to go right for them to repeat and we don’t see that happening. Running back Le’Veon Bell will miss the first three games due to suspension and receiver Antonio Brown is unhappy with his contract. The defense will almost certainly have a down year and Big Ben needs to stay healthy for Pittsburgh to reach eight wins.
Prediction: 8-8
CLEVELAND BROWNS +1199 – Wins O/U: 6.5
Another year, another bad Browns’ team and another last place finish. But they do have new-look uniforms, which aren’t really all that new. For all the roster maneuvering in Cleveland, the Browns still have one glaring problem – they don’t have a quarterback. And we know it’s hard to win football games without a quarterback. There is still hope that Johnny Manziel can turn things around after a disastrous rookie season, but Josh McCown certainly isn’t the guy. It’s possible the Browns have the worst quarterback group in the league.
The Browns have no quarterback, no weapons and an average defense. Head coach Mike Pettine moves onto the hot seat at the end of the season where five wins seems like the ceiling. There are questions on both sides of the football, too many for the Browns to keep up in the tight AFC North. They’re not an easy out, but saying they’ll go 6-10 is generous. To believe in the Browns’ rise you have to have faith that Manziel will resurrect his career or McCown will find his 2013 touch. Don’t bet on it.
Prediction: 5-11
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