While all 32 teams in the NFL start the season with a fresh slate and the same record at 0-0, the reality is that there are some teams that we know, barring major injury, will end up at or near the top of their division and in the postseason, while others will remain on the outside looking in.
We’ve split the teams into four tiers as you consider your NFL betting choices for futures wagers on american football action.
NFL News: Betting Tiers for 2021
The True Contenders
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl and brought back all 22 starters. They have the league’s best quarterback of all time behind an ironclad offensive line, an elite defense at all three levels, the league’s best group of wide receivers, and a venerable coach.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the best quarterback right now in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. However, their lines and their defense rank behind some of the near-favorites. There are times when a quarterback is worth all that money.
The Near-Favorites
The Seattle Seahawks have never had a losing season with quarterback Russell Wilson leading the offense. The defense is still iffy, but the team does have D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett catching passes.
The Los Angeles Rams hope that Matthew Stafford really was just handcuffed in Detroit and is ready to uncork some serious offense for the Rams. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey highlight an elite defense. However, Troy Hill and John Johnson III have left, meaning that the D is not as strong as it was in 2020.
The Baltimore Ravens have a venerable D-line with two young levels behind it. Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins make up a terrific wide receiver pair. But can Lamar Jackson lead his team to a deep playoff run?
The Cleveland Browns have an outstanding roster, having picked up those two from the Rams’ secondary to join a young unit that was already growing. Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley will get after passers. Nick Chubb is one of the league’s top tailbacks, and Odell Beckham Jr returns to complete a great wideout group. The O-line is solid, so it’s time for Baker Mayfield to push his team even farther.
The Green Bay Packers have lost two straight NFC Championships. The biggest question: will Aaron Rodgers take the field for them?
The Buffalo Bills really don’t have any holes, on either side of the ball, besides missing an elite second cornerback across from Tre’Davious White. Their pass rush could also be better. Other than that, I expect to see them back in the AFC title game.
The Pretenders
The Tennessee Titans picked up Julio Jones; their biggest questions remain in the secondary, particularly at quarterback. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is gone, so Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry will have a challenge moving the ball as easily, at least at first.
The Dallas Cowboys have an elite offensive, with a blue-chip line, one of the best wide receiver trios, a great quarterback and a motivated Ezekiel Eilioott out of the backfield. The defense was historically bad last year, though, and the team went after D in the draft, getting Kelvin Joseph and Micah Parsons, but the team still needs a pro-level safety and an actual shutdown corner.
The San Francisco 49ers need a healthy year out of Jimmy Garoppolo. They drafted Trey Lance, but the learning curve will be steep. On defense, the team needs secondary help.
The Washington Football Team will repeat as NFC East champions, thanks to the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and a terrific defense. The team added Curtis Samuel in the secondary to make that D even more threatening. However, after winning the division, they will run into the teeth of the rest of the NFL’s playoff contenders.
The Arizona Cardinals have a real shot to win the NFC West if not snag a wild card. The secondary is still a bit thin, especially at cornerback, so the team needs to bring pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
The New Orleans Saints will either start Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill at quarterback. Neither is an ideal option for a team that has the league’s top O-line and one of the team’s top defensive units.
The Indianapolis Colts are ironclad on defense, but their new quarterback, Carson Wentz, simply fell apart in Philadelphia. Frank Reich could help him rediscover his mojo, and if it pays off, the Colts should win the AFC South. But will it?
The Minnesota Vikings have rebuilt their defense in the offseason. Kirk Cousins is starting to age at quarterback, but he has terrific receivers and one of the game’s best tailbacks. If the Packers have Aaron Rodgers, though, the Vikings will still struggle.
The New England Patriots could start Mac Jones or Cam Newton at quarterback. The offense added a lot at tight end, and the line is strong. On defense, they have a great secondary. But can they keep up with the Dolphins for the wild card?
The Miami Dolphins have former first-round draft choices at quarterback and their top three wideout slots. I’m not sure Tua Tagovailoa is ready to lead the offense to a division title, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick in Washington, we’ll see Tua’s ceiling now.
The Los Angeles Chargers have Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert running the offense, and the defense has some terrific talent. Rashawn Slater comes in via the draft to protect Herbert at left tackle.
The Rebuilders
The Denver Broncos have a terrific secondary, and their wide receivers might make the best group in their division. The team added Javonte Williams to carry the ball, and Von Miller and Bradley Chubb can get after passers. However, Drew Lock is not (yet, at least) an elite NFL quarterback. Can the Broncos get one, or will they do just well enough to miss out on a primo prospect in next year’s draft?
The New York Giants are in a similar predicament, with a great roster (and with Saquon Barkley back from his ACL tear). However, the O-line needs some more help, and Daniel Jones is also still finding his way at quarterback — although adding Kenny Golladay makes their receiver group more impressive.
The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow back, and if their O-line can do a better job protecting him, the Bengals could push six or seven wins. The team drafted Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s teammate at LSU, to run routes. The defense is iffy on the line and in the secondary, though.
The Chicago Bears suddenly have a wealth of interesting people at quarterback, led by Justin Fields from Ohio State and followed by Andy Dalton, who had a resurgence in Dallas last year, and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. The Bears’ defense is already solid, so let’s see if they can’t get an offense now.
The Las Vegas Raiders still need a serviceable defensive line, since they picked three safeties in the draft. Derek Carr is still an enigma at quarterback; this is a team that feels more stuck than anything else.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are way overrated in many win totals. The O-line has basically imploded, and Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton are both gone from the secondary. The D-line is still stout, but the biggest question for the team is the health of Ben Roethlisberger, since there is no long-term solution at backup.
The Atlanta Falcons still have a decent quarterback in Matt Ryan, but the rest of the roster is undergoing a rebuild — including the front office. The team swapped Julio Jones to Tennessee, showing that they are moving to the next generation. The team did snag Kyle Pitts out of Florida in the draft.
The Carolina Panthers will see if they can reclaim Sam Darnold, who did not play well with the Jets — but also didn’t have a decent coach. Some think that he could become the next Ryan Tannehill, though, and coach Matt Rhule was able to get the most out of his players at Baylor. The D-line is young and has a high ceiling, led by Brian Burns.
The New York Jets fired Adam Gase and got a terrific draft class, starting with BYU signal-caller Zach Wilson, and value came elsewhere in the draft. The offense will score, but the secondary will give up a ton of plays.
The Philadelphia Eagles have an intriguing quarterback in Jalen Hurts, but their offensive line still needs help. They drafted Landon Dickerson in the second round, but he went down to injury to end all of his four seasons in college. The defense is getting old.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer coming to town, and their wide receiving corps is underrated. They have a pair of elite pass rushers. However, the O-line has holes, which won’t help Lawrence one bit.
The Detroit Lions need help at wide receiver, and moving to Jared Goff at quarterback means that there will be no room for mistakes. In the draft, the Lions worked to bolster their two lines, so we’ll see if they can control the trenches more this season.
The Houston Texans are a dumpster fire, as they have a quarterback in Deshaun Watson that they can’t trade and likely won’t be able to play thanks to the sexual harassment allegations against him. Watson had crazy numbers a year ago, but the talent around him has dwindled even further.
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