We interrupt the NBA and NHL playoffs to bring you the best NFL futures bets you can make right now.
A week after the NFL draft, VSiN host Mike Somich and professional handicapper Steve Fezzik have already placed some wagers they believe have value.
“Whenever I’m looking for these futures bets to play, the main goal is to (pick) the best time to play those numbers,” said Somich (@Somobomb18). “If I believe I’m going to get in at the best of it, that’s when I’ll attack these futures markets this far in advance.”
Lions to win NFC North, +145
Somich bet on the Detroit Lions to win the NFC North at +160 and +150. The Lions are still available at +145 at Caesars Sportsbook.
Defending division champion Detroit drafted Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick and selected Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round.
“I love what they did in the draft,” Somich said. “Last year, Detroit’s secondary woes were well documented and they addressed that in spades. (Arnold) was my top-ranked cornerback on the board and will fit this defense perfectly.”
Jaguars to win AFC South, +285
Somich also backed Jacksonville to win the AFC South. The Jaguars, who drafted Louisiana State wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at 23rd overall, are the +285 second choice at Caesars behind Houston.
“Both of those divisions have teams that are overvalued with the Packers and Bears in the NFC North and with the Texans in the AFC South,” Somich said.
Bengals to win AFC North, +180
Fezzik bet on the Bengals to win their division before the draft. Cincinnati finished fourth last season after quarterback Joe Burrow missed seven games with a torn ligament in his right wrist.
The Bengals are the +180 second choice at Circa Sports behind the Baltimore Ravens.
“It’s the last-place schedule,” said Fezzik (@FezzikSports). “They get Carolina, Tennessee and New England. So it’s not just a fourth-place schedule, it’s the easiest fourth-place schedule possible since they get three cupcakes.
“I have no reason to think the Bengals are not in the same category as Baltimore. They’re better than Pittsburgh and Cleveland and all three of those teams have to play teams way, way better than Carolina, Tennessee and New England.”
Bears over 8½ wins
Fezzik backed Chicago to go over 8½ wins, though the total is up to 9 at Caesars, the only Las Vegas book currently offering win totals. The Bears drafted Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams first overall and Washington wideout Rome Odunze, a Bishop Gorman product, ninth overall. Chicago also features receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.
“Post-draft betting basic strategy is to take the team that got rated ‘A’ by the most people, aka the Bears, and bet them over on season wins before the public gets ahold of them,” Fezzik said. “Like the Bengals, they have a fourth-place schedule, which gives them three cupcake games (against the Panthers, Patriots and Commanders).”
Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl, 30-1
Somich bet the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl for the third straight year at 7-1 odds shortly after they beat the 49ers in February in the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Kansas City is still available at +625 at Caesars, where San Francisco is the +550 favorite. The Chiefs signed wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and drafted Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who set the NFL scouting combine record for fastest 40-yard dash at 4.21 seconds.
“I thought there was some value in them not being the favorite at +700,” Somich said. “You knew they were going to address wide receiver and as long as they did that, they were going to be a better version of themselves next year than they were the previous year.”
Somich bet on a Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl matchup, which is 30-1 at BetMGM. Circa also has Super Bowl exactas. Chiefs to beat Eagles pays 74-1. Eagles over Chiefs pays 83-1.
Philadelphia, the 9-1 fifth choice at Circa to win the NFC, selected two of the best cornerbacks in the draft in Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at 22nd overall and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean in the second round.
“This Eagles team has been undervalued,” Somich said. “It was 11-1 last year and Super Bowl favorites at a lot of places before it had a brutal stretch because of how the schedule played out.
“Their front office has been phenomenal and we saw what they were able to do again in this draft where they addressed their biggest need at cornerback. … They should be the second or third choice in the NFC. They’re just one of those teams I want to target before the value gets sucked out of them.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.