AFC playoff picture: A new leader of the pack after Week 6

If the season were to end today, the Pittsburgh Steelers would rule the roost in the AFC while the Baltimore Ravens would be a wild card.

Though history says the Baltimore Ravens’ impressive 5-1 record points to Super Bowl glory, the Ravens’ first task includes just getting into the postseason. But as Baltimore enters its Week 7 bye, it’s right in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.

With Week 6 formally concluded after a Monday night doubleheader, the playoff picture continues to take shape, especially in the AFC. This conference now boasts two of the last three unbeaten teams in 2020. With only one team earning a first-round bye in the playoffs landing that No. 1 seed is more important than ever before.

Let’s see how the AFC playoff picture looks following Week 6.

AFC playoff picture – Week 7

Seed	Team	Record
1	Pittsburgh Steelers	5-0
2	Tennessee Titans	5-0
3	Kansas City Chiefs	5-1
4	Buffalo Bills	4-2
5	Baltimore Ravens	5-1
6	Cleveland Browns	4-2
7	Indianapolis Colts	4-2

The Indianapolis Colts are now in the playoff picture after improving to 4-2 with their win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. This victory has knocked the Las Vegas Raiders out of their spot, although the Raiders were on a bye in Week 6.

Week 7 should have massive implications for the whole AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Tennessee Titans. This battle of two 5-0 teams will see one extend their lead at the top of the conference, while the other must come down and join the dogfight with the rest of the playoff-caliber teams.

Despite boasting a 5-1 record, the Ravens would still go on the road in the first round of the playoffs, taking on the Buffalo Bills. The Bills may have lost their last two games, but they lead the AFC East with a 4-2 record due to the improved play of quarterback Josh Allen. The Ravens’ one defeat means they are looking up at the Steelers in the AFC North standings, and will therefore probably be hoping for a Titans win this weekend.

Things are undoubtedly going to continue jockeying around over the final few months of the regular season. But as it stands right now, the Ravens are firmly in the AFC playoff picture after Week 6.

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AFC playoff picture: Ravens in the thick of things after Week 5

The AFC playoff seeding is beginning to take shape. If the regular season ended today, here’s what the Baltimore Ravens would stand.

Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season is finally in the books after the schedule was stretched out to Tuesday night to accommodate the Tennessee Titans’ coronavirus outbreak. With most teams now at least a quarter of the way through their regular-season schedule, something approaching a true picture of the NFL’s playoff seeding is beginning to emerge.

Though there are still 12 more weeks of regular-season games scheduled, the AFC playoff picture is getting a little clearer. The good teams are beginning to rise to the top of the conference while the bad teams are creating lists of candidates for their vacant coaching and general manager positions. The Baltimore Ravens are right in the thick of the mix and if the season were to end today, they’d hold the No. 5 seed.

AFC playoff picture — Week 6

Seed	Team	Record
1	Tennessee Titans	4-0
2	Pittsburgh Steelers	4-0
3	Kansas City Chiefs	4-1
4	Buffalo Bills	4-1
5	Baltimore Ravens	4-1
6	Cleveland Browns	4-1
7	Las Vegas Raiders	3-2

The fact three AFC North teams are currently slated to be in the playoffs right now speaks to the quality of the division and Baltimore’s most frequent opponents.

Under the new playoff format, introduced this season, only the top-seeded team in each conference will receive a bye. So at present, the Tennessee Titans would get the extra rest while the other six teams faced off on Wild Card Weekend.

Under the current standings, the fifth-seed Ravens would go on the road in the first round of the playoffs to take on Josh Allen and the fourth-seed Buffalo Bills. While Baltimore has more playoff pedigree than Buffalo in their recent histories, both teams would be seeking a first career playoff victory for their starting quarterbacks. Allen lost his first postseason game last January, while Lamar Jackson has started 0-2 in the playoffs since 2018.

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The Vikings have made the playoffs just once after starting 0-2

The odds aren’t in Minnesota’s favor to make the postseason after starting the 2020 season with an 0-2 record.

The Vikings find themselves in an 0-2 hole to start the 2020 season.

When was the last time the Vikings were 0-2?

We have to go back to the 2013 season when Leslie Frazier was at the helm.

The Vikings actually started 0-3 that season, falling to the Lions, Bears and Browns to start the season. The Vikings finished the season 5-10-1, obviously missing out on the playoffs.

Here is a history of the Vikings starting out 0-2:

2013 (finished 5-10-1, missed playoffs)
2011(finished 3-13, missed playoffs)
2010 (finished 6-10, missed playoffs)
2008 (finished 10-6, won NFC North)
2005 (finished 9-7, missed playoffs)
2002 (6-10, missed playoffs)
2001 (5-11, missed playoffs)
1984 (3-13, missed playoffs)
1981 (7-9, missed playoffs)
1967 (3-8-3, missed playoffs)
1965 (7-7, missed playoffs)
1962 (2-11-1, missed playoffs)

So, that’s 12 times the Vikings have started out 0-2 and only one time the team has made the postseason. The odds (8.3% to be exact) are not exactly in the Vikings’ favor.

However, there are now seven teams that make the playoffs in each conference this year, so that changes things.

We’ll see if the Vikings can get back on track on Sunday at home against the Titans.

Miami Dolphins playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Miami Dolphins making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Miami Dolphins make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET.

Will the Miami Dolphins make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +500 | No: -715

The Dolphins were the laughingstock of the NFL in the first few weeks of the 2019 season, not only losing, but getting blown out by giant margins. It prompted the books to set huge, double-digit lines, including one which saw Miami as an underdog as high as 22 points. Some books even offered a prop of “Will the Dolphins finish 0-16?”

However, as the season went along, the Dolphins started to pull themselves together a bit. They become more competitive, and eventually were able to tick off a few wins. They appeared to be headed for a winless season after an 0-7 start, but in the final nine games they actually had a winning record at 5-4, including one loss by just one point. That finish, along with a bevy of free agents and draft selections has the Miami fanbase thinking big heading into 2020. While the division rival New England Patriots are expected to be much weaker, the Buffalo Bills are the favorites in the AFC East. Miami still has a ways to go before taking that next step to the postseason, but it’s not as far as some think.

The pick here, however, is NO (-715), but there is no way to justify eating that kind of chalk. A $10 winning bet only returns a profit of $1.40.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Miami Dolphins win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+300
5-8 Wins	-304
9-12 Wins	+800
13-16 Wins	+50000

The BetMGM book has the sweet spot for the Dolphins in the 5-8 WINS (-304), and rightly so. First off, that’s where they landed last season after their slow start. A jump into the 9-12 (+800) wins area seems unlikely given their schedule.

While the Patriots are expected to be a little worse during the post-Tom Brady era, a Week 1 road assignment in New England is a tough road to hoe for the Fins. A visit from the division favorite Bills will be a tall order for the home opener in Week 2, also. While a trip to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in Week 3 looks like Miami’s best bet for a first win, it’s a quick turnaround with it being Thursday night, and that could be an unexpected challenge, albeit a short hop from Miami via the air. After that, it’s a pair of NFC West foes with the Seattle Seahawks visiting, and a trip to meet the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. As you can see, the early schedule is daunting, and a bet of YES (+500): TEAM TO START 0-4 might be worth a small-unit wager.

There are some midseason opportunities for wins, but late-season home games vs. the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots, as well as a total of four road games to either the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones will be rough. A January game in Buffalo looks unwinnable, too.

A $10 bet on 5-8 WINS (-304) fetches a profit of only $3.29.

How many games will the Miami Dolphins win in 2020? Exact number

The Dolphins have improved their overall personnel. They drafted the quarterback of the future in QB Tua Tagovailoa, and they have a capable veteran in QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to show him the ropes until he is ready. Miami also has plenty of skill position depth and some decent defensive pieces. However, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Dolphins win the same amount of games as they did in 2019, only because the schedule is so tough from top to bottom.

Target 5 WINS (+300) as the play on exact victories, as you can triple up on your initial investment, and maybe hedge with exactly 6 WINS (+265) in case they overachieve a little. Still, they won’t win many more than that.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Los Angeles Rams playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Los Angeles Rams making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Los Angeles Rams make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Thursday, June 4 at 2 p.m. ET.

Will the Los Angeles Rams make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +165 | No: -200

Let’s rip expectations and emotions out of projecting the 2020 Los Angeles Rams. They fell well short of their preseason hype in 2019, but they weren’t that bad. A 9-7 record, but in an insanely difficult NFC West. They went 10-5-1 against the spread (meaning they surpassed bookmakers’ expectations on a weekly basis given the situation), had a plus-0.6 yards per play differential and could’ve snuck into the playoffs had they not gone 1-2 in the final three weeks. So one could argue Yes (+165) for the Rams making the postseason being great value.

The biggest question for this Rams team is how can they regain offensive dominance while parting ways with RB Todd Gurley III? Gurley’s disappointing 2019 campaign, where he went from MVP-caliber production to a mediocre 857 rushing yard and 3.8 yards per carry, directly relates to the Rams missing the playoffs for the first time in head coach Sean McVay’s three-year tenure. McVay’s coaching results thus far are impressive but the reason why I’m staying away from this action is based on my take of QB Jared Goff.

In 2019, Goff was Pro Football Focus’ 20th-graded quarterback. He ranked 22nd in QB Rating and 28th in touchdown percentage. Outside of a couple of draft picks, the Rams didn’t go out of their way to get him much help and the Rams have the 28th toughest schedule in the NFL this season (according to SharpFootballAnalysis.com).

I think the jury is still out on Goff but because I believe in McVay’s abilities. The value on No (-200) is terrible given the Rams head coach. I’ll PASS on betting if the Rams make the playoffs in 2020.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Los Angeles Rams win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+3000
5-8 Wins	-120
9-12 Wins	-105
13-16 Wins	+4000

Successful gamblers don’t like this angle very often but let’s side with the market and bet the 5-8 Wins Band (-120). The Rams aren’t chumps but their first three games of the season are among the league’s toughest and their division is the best in the NFL. Los Angeles will win games, just not that many.

For the 0-4 Wins Band ticket to cash, a combination of bad breaks and a cluster of injuries would have to befall the Rams. The 9-12 Wins band (-105) is pretty good value but Yes (+165) to make the playoffs is better and if we thought they’d win that much we’d take the bet in the section above. A 13-plus win season is the biggest long shot for a reason: It ain’t happening.

How many games will the Los Angeles Rams win in 2020? Exact number

It’s too hard to stick the landing on this wager so I’ll PASS ON EXACT NUMBER OF WINS. Some strategy that may be profitable would be betting money on exactly 5 wins (+1400), exactly 6 wins (+650) and exactly 7 wins (+375). If any of those tickets cash you’ve profited on the Exact Wins action.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Los Angeles Chargers playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Los Angeles Chargers making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Los Angeles Chargers make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday, June 3 at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Will the Los Angeles Chargers make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +180 | No: -223

The Chargers officially cut ties with longtime QB Philip Rivers this offseason, as he left via free agency to join the Indianapolis Colts. QB Tyrod Taylor will serve as the ‘bridge’ quarterback, holding down the fort until 2020 first-round draft pick QB Justin Herbert is ready to be trusted with the keys to the car in either 2020 or 2021. Taylor has been in this spot before.

The Chargers also bid farewell to RB Melvin Gordon, who signed a two-year deal in free agency with the division-rival Denver Broncos. So it’s a bit of a transition season for the Bolts, who will move into their new shared home with the Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium.

The best bet here is NO (-223) where a $10 winning bet returns a profit of just $4.50.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Los Angeles Chargers win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+1400
5-8 Wins	-209
9-12 Wins	+185
13-16 Wins	+10000

The BetMGM bookmakers expect this to be a losing season for the Chargers, as do most talking heads. There isn’t a lot of faith in Taylor turning this club into a winning team, and the schedule doesn’t set up very well for them, either.

We’ll learn a lot about the Chargers in Week 1 when they travel to meet the Cincinnati Bengals. It might be their most winnable road game on the entire schedule. A loss there would get them off on the wrong foot. They travel to the Eastern Time Zone for four of their eight road games this season, and of course, they will have to face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs twice.

The Bolts will welcome the new-look New England Patriots to town, as well as traveling to battle the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 12 in their only scheduled Monday Night Football appearance. It’s an ugly schedule for a Chargers team likely to endure a second straight losing season.

The Chargers are worth a small-unit bet at 5-8 WINS (-209), although it will cost you. They’re not going to be a winning team, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see even fewer than five wins with this mishmash roster.

A $10 bet on 5-8 WINS fetches a profit of only $4.80.

How many games will the Los Angeles Chargers win in 2020? Exact number

It’s expected the Bolts will be swept by the Chiefs, while perhaps splitting with both the rival Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Road trips to Cincinnati and Miami are very winnable, but outside of those games it’s unlikely the Chargers will return home with many road victories.

Looking at the home slate, a win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 is certainly very possible, and it might be their first in their new digs. Games at home against the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars shouldn’t be terribly daunting, either.

Target 6 WINS (+400) as the play on exact victories, and you can quadruple your investment if they’re to suffer double-digit losses yet again in 2020. UNDER 7.5 WINS (-115) is a very good bet, too.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Las Vegas Raiders playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Las Vegas Raiders making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Las Vegas Raiders make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday, June 2 at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Will the Las Vegas Raiders make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +240 | No: -304

The Raiders improved quite a bit last season after going just 4-12 in 2018. They finished the season at 7-9 and were in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. In fact, you can make a strong case the Raiders should have made the playoffs if it weren’t for two fourth-quarter collapses in Weeks 15 and 17.

Entering Year 3 of head coach Jon Gruden’s rebuild, the Raiders’ roster has been dramatically overhauled. This offseason, general manager Mike Mayock and Gruden focused on retooling the defense in free agency, adding key veterans such as DT Maliek Collins, LB Cory Littleton and DE Carl Nassib. On paper, this is the most talent the Raiders have had on defense in some time.

The Raiders’ 2020 season will ultimately boil down to just how well QB Derek Carr plays. He set career highs in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating in 2019, but it is clear Gruden wants his quarterback to be more aggressive throwing the ball down the field. The team added WR Henry Ruggs III with the No. 12 pick in the draft and that will finally give this offense the speed it has been lacking.

It’s clear this Raiders team is a distant second, at best, in the AFC West Division, and that means they will have to fight for a wild-card spot. The Raiders will play four playoff teams in their first five games. They could start the season off rough. Look for the Raiders to be a much-improved team from last season, but don’t necessarily expect them to make a run at the playoffs in 2020. Take the Raiders to MISS THE PLAYOFFS (-304) this season.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Las Vegas Raiders win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+1100
5-8 Wins	-223
9-12 Wins	+200
13-16 Wins	+12500

The Raiders won seven games last season, but they very easily could have won as many as 10 if it weren’t for a few last-second collapses. With a more difficult schedule this year, it seems unlikely they will improve by two or more wins this season.

The smart play here is to bet on the Raiders to win somewhere between 5-8 games (-223), but there is some outside potential they get to 9-12 (+200) if everything falls correctly. Given the odds for either bet, it’s not worth risking much here.

How many games will the Las Vegas Raiders win in 2020? Exact number

The most likely amount of wins for the Raiders this season based on the odds is 7 (+285). That feels about right given their schedule, their division and their roster.

There is a solid chance this team gets off to a slow start and that could have a major impact on their season. Six wins (+380) isn’t a bad bet and neither is 8 wins (+290). Expect the Raiders’ final win total in 2020 to fall between 6-8 wins with eight wins probably being the best bet on the board.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Marcus_Mosher on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Pittsburgh Steelers playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Pittsburgh Steelers making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Friday, May 29 at 6;20 a.m. ET.

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -115 | No: -105

The Steelers lost QB Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2, and they just weren’t the same team. Coach Mike Tomlin got the most out of his replacements, challenging for a playoff spot late into the season, but the combination of QBs Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges just couldn’t get Pittsburgh quite over the hump. Heading into 2020, Big Ben is back, so will the Steelers be back in the postseason, too?

Tomlin always seems to get the most out of his teams, and tossing a future Hall of Fame signal caller back into the mix should help immensely. While it’s unlikely they have enough heat to overtake the rival Baltimore Ravens and MVP QB Lamar Jackson, the Steelers should be right there challenging for the division and a playoff spot.

The best bet is YES (-115), although a $10 winning bet returns a profit of $8.70.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Pittsburgh Steelers win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+5000
5-8 Wins	+135
9-12 Wins	-167
13-16 Wins	+2000

The schedule is a little on the soft side, as they face just five playoff teams for a total of six games – they play the Ravens twice. That means 10 of their games are against teams that watched the playoffs on television last year. That’s what the Steelers were doing, too, but they’ll be much improved and should reach double-digit wins as long as Big Ben doesn’t have a recurrence of the elbow issue that forced him to the sidelines.

The Steelers are a good bet at 9-12 WINS (-167), as they’re expected to be a contender again after a lost 2019 season.

A $10 bet on 9-12 WINS returns a very nice profit of $5.99.

How many games will the Pittsburgh Steelers win in 2020? Exact number

As mentioned, the Steelers have 10 games against non-playoff teams from 2019. That will help them take a big leap in the standings, from outside the playoffs to a contender. They should get off to a quick start, as they face rather soft competition early on, and their toughest games in the first six weeks will happen at home on Heinz Field turf. They usually battle the Ravens tough, and could split with them, and they’re likely to be favored in both games against the Cincinnati Bengals, and perhaps both meetings with the Cleveland Browns. Four wins inside the division is a fair prediction.

Looking at the non-division schedule, they should be able to rack up wins at home against the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins, and on the road at the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants. A win over the Indianapolis Colts late in the season is also a good bet, especially if fans are back in the stands, making it a true home-field advantage.

Target 10 WINS (+300), as you can triple up if they simply gain two wins in the standings from a year ago. With Big Ben back under center, that should be easily attainable. OVER 9 WINS (-115) is also worth a small-unit play.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Jacksonville Jaguars playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Jacksonville Jaguars making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Jacksonville Jaguars make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Friday, May 29 at 9 a.m. ET.

Will the Jacksonville Jaguars make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +800 | No: -1429

On paper, the Jaguars look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. They’ve made moves this offseason that suggest they don’t plan to compete much in 2020, trading CB A.J. Bouye and DE Calais Campbell, while also shopping RB Leonard Fournette at one point.

The AFC South may not be strong, but the conference as a whole will keep Jacksonville out of the playoffs – even with an additional postseason berth available in 2020.

The Jaguars are not going to make the postseason unless QB Gardner Minshew or Fournette has an MVP-type season, which is highly unlikely. Bet NO (-1429) on them making the playoffs, but a $10 bet will return a profit of just $0.70. There is much better value with our suggested bets mentioned below.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Jacksonville Jaguars win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+100
5-8 Wins	-125
9-12 Wins	+2200
13-16 Wins	+100000

The Jaguars are fortunate to have the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins on their 2020 schedule, but all of those teams should be much-improved since last season. None of them are surefire wins for Jacksonville, nor is any other game on the schedule.

The Jags won five and six games in the last two seasons, which seems to be a reasonable prediction for the upcoming campaign. I’m torn between 0-4 wins (+100) and 5-8 wins (-125) because their most likely range is 4-5 wins, making this a tough bet.

I’ll put some faith in Minshew and suggest 5-8 WINS, hoping Jacksonville can take care of the easier portion of its schedule. The same $10 bet on this win band will fetch a profit of $8.

How many games will the Jacksonville Jaguars win in 2020? Exact number

Unsurprisingly, four and five wins have the same odds at +255, the favorites of any exact win total. It’s hard to decide between the two but since we went with the 5-8 win band, we’ll take 5 WINS (+255) here for a profit of $25.50 on a $10 bet.

The Jaguars can find wins on their schedule, but it’s going to be a matter of stealing a win or two in the division, and beating the bad teams they’re set to face in 2020.

Want action on NFL futures betting lines? Sign up and place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @camdasilva on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Philadelphia Eagles playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds of the Philadelphia Eagles making the 2020 NFL playoffs and predicting their exact win total.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles make the 2020 NFL playoffs? Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds and make our pick. We also predict their exact win total for the upcoming season.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Friday, May 29 at 5:25 a.m. ET.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -200 | No: +165

The Eagles outlasted the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, winning the NFC East with a 9-7 mark and securing the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. They were quickly dispatched by the Seattle Seahawks by a 17-9 score at Lincoln Financial Field. Now, the Eagles have to play a first-place schedule for the 2020 regular season.

The Cowboys should be able to leapfrog the Eagles for the divisional crown in 2020. While the New York Giants and Washington Redskins aren’t expected to be much better this season, this will still be a competitive division with tough games seemingly coming each week for Philly. The Eagles were the only NFC East team to make the playoffs last year. Expect the same in 2020 with the division getting just one team into the postseason, however, that representative won’t be from Philadelphia.

The best value bet is NO (+165) where a $10 winning bet returns a profit of $16.50.

Place your legal NFL bets in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

How many games will the Philadelphia Eagles win in 2020? Bands

BAND	ODDS
0-4 Wins	+8000
5-8 Wins	+195
9-12 Wins	-223
13-16 Wins	+1200

The BetMGM book envisions the sweet spot for the Eagles in the 9-12 wins (-223) band, but that’s not going to be the case. The second-place team in the NFC East last season, the Cowboys, finished 8-8. You can expect more of the same in 2020, and that second-place team will be the Eagles. Their schedule isn’t terribly daunting early on, but back-to-back road games at the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers to kick off October, followed by a home game with the Baltimore Ravens will kick off their slide. They also have three road games in four December outings against playoff-hopeful teams in the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, as well as against the rival Cowboys. Not good.

The Eagles are a strong value at 5-8 WINS (+195), as you can nearly double up if they’re a .500 club or slightly worse.

A $10 bet on 5-8 WINS returns a very nice profit of $19.50.

How many games will the Philadelphia Eagles win in 2020? Exact number

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Eagles rattle off at least three victories inside the division. A split with the Giants is likely, and a sweep of the Redskins is very possible. On paper, the Cowboys are much more talented, and the Eagles might take a goose egg against them, which would be the difference for first place in the competitive NFC East.

The Eagles have a winnable home game against the Cincinnati Bengals in late September, and a road trip vs. the Cleveland Browns in late November could be another victory. Other than that, there aren’t many games you can look to on Philly’s schedule and say it’s an automatic “W.” It’s going to be nip and tuck all season.

Target 8 WINS (+375) as the play on exact victories as you can nearly quadruple your bank roll if the Eagles are mediocre again, and just one game worse than 2019. UNDER 9.5 WINS (-110) should be a slam-dunk play, too.

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