NFL Midseason Futures: 4 Teams to Watch
The NFL midseason point is a good time to bet futures.
How did we get to the NFL midseason point already? Because of the take a knee controversy, it’s been a strange NFL season. Some teams have done what was expected of them. Other teams have exceeded expectations, and Tom Brady continues to defy logic by killing it for the Pats. Then there was that crazy NFL midseason trade deadline. The end of the season will be intriguing. Going into the second half of the season, here are four teams to keep your eye on.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have won their last two games by margins of 33 and 34, and are 6-2. Los Angeles had the worst offense in the NFL for the previous two years. This year, they lead the league. They are a young team with a young coach, and Sean McVay has done a lot to be proud of at this point. The youngest coach in recent NFL history has got Jared Goff playing like a franchise quarterback, as well as guiding running back Todd Gurley back to his best form. Gurley has 4 more touchdowns than all of last season at 10, and leads the NFC with 1,024 yards from scrimmage. The Rams face a challenging run-in. They face the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints in the coming weeks. L.A is +750 to win the NFC and + 1400 for the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia has rampaged it’s way to a league-best 8-1 record going into the bye. Quarterback Carson Wentz is also catching the eye alongside a well drilled Jim Schwartz defense. Wentz, franchise MVP as well as a candidate for the league’s MVP, is tops in touchdown passes with 23 in 9 weeks. He is also fourth in quarterback rating with 104.1 and yards with 2,262. The Eagles play in a very winnable NFC, and the signing of Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi signals their intent. Philadelphia faces a tough second half. They play the Dallas Cowboys twice, as well as tough road matches against the Seattle Seahawks and L.A Rams. Due to their outstanding form, The Eagles are one of the favourites for the SuperBowl at + 400.
Houston Texans
It’s all gone wrong for Houston this year. They lose their best defensive player, J.J Watt. Their owner Bob McNair gets caught up in the protest controversy. Their leading light, DeShaun Watson, suffers an ACL injury in training. The 3-5 Texans stood a chance with the outstanding rookie in the side. Thanks to him they broke a franchise record, scoring 30 or more points in 5 consecutive games. However, the Houston defense is suspect. They have conceded game-winning touchdowns with 30 seconds left on the clock twice this year, against the Patriots and the Seahawks. If they want to win the AFC South for a third time in a row, they will have to be more solid, although they have good players. DeAndre Hopkins leads the league in touchdown catches with 8. Houston is + 5000 to win the AFC.
New England Patriots
What more can we say about Tom Brady? The 40-year-old leads a team that is top of the NFC East and 6-2 for the season. Brady’s touchdown to pick ratio since turning 39 is 44-4. He has an enviable quarterback record of 206-of-309 for 2,541 yards, 2 interceptions and 16 touchdowns, yet he is not at the top of his game. New England’s offense is struggling and without backup for Brady they could find themselves in trouble. To retain the Super Bowl, New England has to perform well after the bye. No easy feat considering 5 of their next 6 matches will be on the road. At + 450 they are second favourites for the Super Bowl. They would probably be favourites were it not for Philadelphia’s amazing form. They’re still favourites for the AFC at + 150.
