Tag: 2020 NFL Win Predictions

Minnesota Vikings playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Minnesota Vikings 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, May 26 at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Will the Minnesota Vikings make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes:  -134 | No:  +110

Last season was QB Kirk Cousins‘ second campaign as the Vikings starter, leading them to a 10-6 regular-season finish and a playoff berth. It was a two-win improvement over his first year in Minnesota when the Vikes missed the postseason after going 8-7-1. By all measures, 2019 was a step in the right direction for Minnesota, but this offseason had seen a lot of roster turnover.

The notable Vikings that are no longer with the team include WR Stefon Diggs, CB Xavier Rhodes, DT Linval Joseph, DE Everson Griffen and S Andrew Sendejo. There are many Pro Bowl appearances amongst those names, so there are questions about Minnesota’s depth that will need to be answered. The biggest loss for the Vikings on offense is former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who left to be the Cleveland Browns head coach. There are a lot of productive players that need to be replaced and it won’t be easy with changes on the coaching staff, but Minnesota has the guy for the job.

In his previous six seasons as head coach of the Vikings, Mike Zimmer has led them to three playoff appearances and won the NFC North twice. Since Zimmer is considered a defensive whiz around the NFL and the talent that remains on the roster, there won’t be much fall-off on defense from 2019. With the NFL playoffs expanding to seven teams per conference, I trust Zimmer enough to confidently BET YES (-134) Minnesota will make the playoffs.

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How many games will the Minnesota Vikings win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +5000
5-8 Wins +125
9-12 Wins -154
13-16 Wins +2500

Since 2014 (Zimmer’s first year as the Vikings head coach), Minnesota has the seventh-highest regular-season winning percentage in the NFL and averaged 9.5 wins per season over that time. Entering 2020, the Vikings have the 13th easiest schedule in the league, according to sharpfootballanalysis.com. Also, they were only 2-4 in one-score games in 2019, and if they progress back to the median in those games, Minnesota could cash a 13-16 wins band ticket. However, I agree with the market on this one and would TAKE 9-12 WINS BAND (-154).

How many games will the Minnesota Vikings win in 2020? Exact number

I would stay away from the action in the exact number of wins for a team in the regular-season line. Thinking about all the randomness in football, you got to have a sick handicap to cash one of these tickets.

PASS ON THE EXACT NUMBER OF WINS.

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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Denver Broncos playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Denver Broncos 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 Sunday, May 24 at 5:55 a.m. ET.

Will the Denver Broncos make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +165 | No: –200

The Broncos head into the new season, and hope springs eternal. But they’re in the AFC West, facing the Super Bowl champ Kansas City Chiefs twice, while also trying to get past the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, who each figure to be improved.

The +165 odds for the Broncos to qualify for the playoffs are a rather tall order, especially considering they face a rather daunting schedule. The best bet is NO (-200) where a $10 bet only returns a profit of $5, but it’s still the way to go.

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

How many games will the Denver Broncos win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +1200
5-8 Wins -223
9-12 Wins +200
13-16 Wins +10000

The Broncos are likely to get off to a very, very poor start. Their first five games include the Steelers, two against 2019 playoffs teams in the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots, and two against vastly improved teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. In fact, betting YES: TEAM TO START 0-4 (+800) is more than a strong possibility. The Broncos should be able to cobble together a couple of wins against the Chargers and Raiders, perhaps splitting their season series with both. But the victories will be few and far between.

The Broncos should be within the 0-4 WINS (+1200) band, making for quite a return if they cannot recover from their projected slow start.

A $10 bet would return a profit of $120.

How many games will the Denver Broncos win in 2020? Exact number

After an in-depth analysis of the schedule, giving the Broncos the benefit of the doubt inside the AFC West with a 3-3 record, it still doesn’t look good for Denver to have much success in 2020. The Broncos welcome the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town, and they have five separate trips to the Eastern Time Zone, which will make it literally a tough road to hoe.

The best bet is for the Broncos to win FOUR GAMES (+1400), while rolling with the UNDER 7.5 WINS (+115) with a rather moderate wager.

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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Dallas Cowboys playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Dallas Cowboys 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 Monday, May 25 at 4 p.m. ET.

Will the Dallas Cowboys make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -182 | No: +150

The NFL expanded its playoff field to 14 teams for next season, which means one more team from each conference will qualify. That benefits the Cowboys, as does the fact that no team has won the NFC East in back-to-back years since the Eagles did so in 2003-2004.

Despite a 9-7 record, Philly won the NFC East last season. However, Dallas looks like the team to beat in 2020 with QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott and WRs Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys’ 2020 first-round draft pick out of Oklahoma. Plus, there’s the great offensive line.

The bet here is YES (-182) because of how weak the NFC East is and the expansion of the playoff field. Dallas is one of the hardest teams in the NFL to trust, but it has the talent to win it all in 2020.

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

How many games will the Dallas Cowboys win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +10000
5-8 Wins +245
9-12 Wins -278
13-16 Wins +1100

The Cowboys have alternated double-digit-win seasons since 2014. Based on that trend, they’ll finish with at least 10 wins in 2020 after going 8-8 last year and 10-6 the season before. They’ve only won 13-plus games once since 2008, and even as good of a value as +1100 is for 13-16 wins, it feels like too much of a reach.

The best bet is 9-12 WINS (-278), which is unsurprisingly the favorite. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to put a small wager on 13-16 (+1100) and a bigger one on 9-12 wins, though.

How many games will the Dallas Cowboys win in 2020? Exact number

Exactly 10 wins is the favorite at +270. The Cowboys have a great chance to win more than 10 games with an easier schedule in the NFC East, but games against the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks won’t be easy outs.

Exactly 11 WINS feels like a good target for this Cowboys team and at +340 is a great value. It’s still relatively safe and not as risky as 13 wins (+1200), and seems realistic for this talented Dallas squad.

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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Cleveland Browns playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Cleveland Browns 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 Sunday, May 24 at 5:20 a.m. ET.

Will the Cleveland Browns make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +125 | No: –150

The Browns entered the 2019 season with a lot of hype, but the winds were quickly lost from their sails with a 43-13 blowout loss at home in Week 1, and a very slow start in the first month. They’ll look for improvement, but it’s a rather tall order in a division with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, the team had a nice draft and made a few free agent moves to shore up some weak spots.

The +125 odds for the Browns to make the playoffs seem rather high, as Cleveland faces a difficult schedule, including a season opener at Baltimore. The best bet is NO (-150), and you don’t have to eat much chalk to win. A $10 bet returns a profit of just $6.67.

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

How many games will the Cleveland Browns win in 2020? Bands

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

The Browns have the potential to get off to a rather quick start if they can handle their business at home. The first two home games at FirstEnergy Stadium are vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 and the Washington Redskins in Week 3. Unfortunately for the Browns, they also have two road games against the Ravens (Week 1) and Dallas Cowboys (Week 4), which will be rather daunting.

It’s likely the Browns should be able to split the two games, although they’ve been known to blow games they’re expected to win, too. After a so-so start, the wins will be fewer and farther between in the second half. They’ll be squarely within the 5-8 WINS (-120) band.

A $10 bet would return a profit of $8.33.

How many games will the Cleveland Browns win in 2020? Exact number

Looking at the schedule, they face a tough road ahead in the AFC North against the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers. They did stun the Ravens in Baltimore last season, however. The Bengals and Steelers each figure to be improved, though, and that’s not good news for the Brownies.

A split with the Bengals and Steelers, with a sweep at the hands of the Ravens is likely inside the division. A split of their eight home games is a reasonable expectation, with losses to playoff-hopeful teams like the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles in the back-end of the home slate. On the road, they might be able to scratch out two or three victories against the Bengals and perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. But anyone who is a fan of the brown and orange knows nothing is a slam-dunk certainty.

Here, the best bet is to pick the Browns to win SIX GAMES (+650), along with thumping the UNDER 8.5 WINS (-115) rather hard.

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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Cincinnati Bengals playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Cincinnati Bengals 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 Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m. ET.

Will the Cincinnati Bengals make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

The Bengals were the worst team in football in 2019 and play in the same division as the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Even with a huge improvement, making the postseason will be tough, especially with a rookie quarterback in Joe Burrow.

The odds for the Bengals to make the playoffs are +675. There is a reason why it is -1250 on the flip side for No. However, at those odds, it isn’t worth a wager. The best bet is NO (-1250), but you won’t win much. A $10 bet returns a profit of just $0.80.

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How many games will the Cincinnati Bengals win in 2020? Bands

  • 0-4 wins +230
  • 5-8 wins -264
  • 9-12 wins +1100
  • 13-16 wins +40000

The Bengals have four games against teams not expected to be good this year. They host the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants and they play the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins on the road.

It is reasonable to think they can at least split those games. In the division, it is hard to see them getting more than one win. If they sneak one other surprise, that only gets them to four. The best bet here is 0-4 wins (+230).

A $10 bet would return a profit of $23.

How many games will the Cincinnati Bengals win in 2020? Exact number

Based on the odds, Cincinnati is expected to win between five and eight games. Six is the favorite at +270; however, as described in the previous section, they will be lucky to get one division win in the AFC North against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

They might win two of the four games against the expected bad teams, and they can probably steal a win against another team. That’s only four. They will be a better team but not significantly better in the win column.

Here, the best bet is to pick the Bengals to win FOUR games (+400).

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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Carolina Panthers playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Carolina Panthers 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 22 at 11:15 a.m. ET.

Will the Carolina Panthers make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +400 | No: –556

The Panthers are coming off a last-place finish, going 5-11 in 2019. They have a new coach in Matt Rhule and a new QB in Teddy Bridgewater. A big problem is that they are in a division with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two of the three top favorites to win the NFC. Carolina still looks like a last-place team in the NFC South. The best bet, even though there is no value to it is, to go with NO (-556).

New to sports betting? A $10 bet at -556 only profits $1.80 if the wager wins.

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How many games will the Carolina Panthers win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +210
5-8 Wins -250
9-12 Wins +1200
13-16 Wins +200000

If you are looking at their schedule, you can probably pencil in two wins in the division. They will win one they probably shouldn’t, because this is common in the NFC South. They have winnable games against the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos. All are at home except the Redskins. The Panthers can probably split those games. That puts them at five wins just splitting those winnable games and not stealing any wins against teams they aren’t expected to beat.

Winning 0-4 games will be tempting with the value, but the most likely outcome is 5-8 (-250) for a $4 profit on a $10 bet.

How many games will the Carolina Panthers win in 2020? Exact number

The shortest odds for exact wins are five (+265) and six (+270). As mentioned before, getting two wins in the division is likely. Splitting the six “winnable” games is reasonable. The best bet here is FIVE (+265), but four (+375) and six (+270) are also worth looking at.

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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Buffalo Bills playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Buffalo Bills 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, May 21 at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Will the Buffalo Bills make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -176  | No: +145

The Bills are one of the biggest winners from the 2020 offseason. Not only did they add proven veterans in the offseason such as WR Stefon Diggs, DE Mario Addison and DE Quinton Jefferson, but Tom Brady also left the division. While Brady clearly is in decline, the New England Patriots don’t appear to be as strong as they were for most of the century. That opens up a lane for the Bills to take the AFC East for the first time since 1995.

Buffalo has made the playoffs in two of the last there seasons, but it hasn’t won a playoff game since  1995. That could change this season as head coach Sean McDermott enters his fourth season with the team.

The Bills had the league’s No. 2 ranked scoring defense last season, allowing just 16.2 points per game. They will bring back 10 of their 11 starters from last season and even added more depth including CB Josh Norman, DT Vernon Butler and LB A.J. Klein. It’s also worth noting they spent their first draft choice on Iowa DE A.J. Epenesa, who had 22 sacks over the last two seasons.

The biggest story surrounding the Bills will be their offense. QB Josh Allen improved his completion percentage (58.8%) and yards per attempt (6.7) in his second season, but both of those numbers need to continue to improve for the Bills to make the next step. The hope is Diggs will help make Allen’s job a little bit easier as he is one of the best route runners in the NFL. Pairing him with the likes of John Brown and Cole Beasley gives Buffalo one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.

The Bills have one of the best overall rosters in the NFL, a head coach who knows how to get the most out of the talent and a fairly easy schedule. Expect them to make the playoffs (-176) and potentially win the division in 2020.

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How many games will the Buffalo Bills win in 2020? Bands

0-4 Wins: +6500

5-8 Wins: +125

9-12 Wins: -154

13-16 Wins: +2500

There is some decent value available on the Bills to win between 9-12 games (-154) this season. McDermott has guided the Bills to a winning season two of the last three years. The only season (2018) when that didn’t happen was when Allen missed five starts due to an elbow injury. The team failed to win a game without him on the field (0-5) as their backup quarterback situation just wasn’t up to par.

Consider Buffalo a lock to win at least nine games during the 2020 season.

How many games will the Buffalo Bills win in 2020? Exact number

BetMGM‘s win total for the Bills in 2020 is set at 8.5. Not surprisingly, 8 wins (+300) and 9 wins (+275) are the exact win totals with the lowest odds. While both of those present decent value, the best bet on the board is 10 wins (+325).

The Bills won 10 games last season and just one of their six losses was by more than seven points. Buffalo has a really strong defense which will allow them to keep games close.

Given their relatively easy schedule, look for the Bills to win either 9 and 10 games in 2020 as they look to overthrow New England and win the division.

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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Baltimore Ravens playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Baltimore Ravens 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 Monday, May 18 at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Will the Baltimore Ravens make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: -833 | No: +550

PASS.

The Ravens made the playoffs each of the last two seasons while winning back-to-back AFC North titles. A star-studded roster fronted by MVP QB Lamar Jackson and 11 other Pro Bowlers was only strengthened this offseason by the acquisition of DE Calais Campbell and draft selections of LB Patrick Queen and RB J.K. Dobbins.

The division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers should be much better this season with the return of QB Ben Roethlisberger, and the Cleveland Browns should show some improvement, as well. The Ravens are still the heavy favorites to win the division (-200) and would be the pick to make the playoffs as at least a wild-card team if not for the heavy chalk involved.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Ravens to make the playoffs would return a profit of $1.20. It just isn’t worth the risk.

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How many games will the Baltimore Ravens win in 2020? Bands

BAND ODDS
0-4 Wins +250000
5-8 Wins +1800
9-12 Wins -238
13-16 Wins +185

While we’re trusting the Ravens to return to the playoffs for the third straight year in 2020, there’s little value in betting them to win nine or more games. While Jackson has proven to be a durable and elite NFL starter, disaster is always just an injury away and it’s tough to envision backup QB Robert Griffin III leading this team to the postseason, even with an excellent supporting cast on both sides of the ball.

Hedge against the threat of injury and place a small wager on the 5-8 wins band at +1800. A $10 bet will fetch a profit of $180. Backing the Ravens to win 13-16 games is a safer play returning a profit of $18.50 on a $10 bet.

How many games will the Baltimore Ravens win in 2020? Exact number

The Ravens went 14-2 last season while going 5-1 against the disappointing AFC North. The division was expected to feature a three-team race with the Steelers and Browns contending. Better things should be expected from both of them this season and the Cincinnati Bengals will be stronger behind No. 1 pick QB Joe Burrow.

Outside of the division, the Ravens will play just five games against 2019 playoff teams. Factor in some regression in divisional play and add home losses to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys and bet the Ravens to win exactly 11 games at +270 for a $27 return on a $10 bet.

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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Atlanta Falcons playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Atlanta Falcons 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, May 19 at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Will the Atlanta Falcons make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +225  | No: -286

The Falcons will bring back one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in 2020, led by QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones. Unfortunately, it’s not their offense that has been a problem. In 2019, the Falcons ranked fifth in yards per game, but 20th in yards allowed. Even worse, they finished 23rd in points allowed last season, giving up nearly 25 points per game.

For the Falcons to make the playoffs in 2020, the defense will need to improve dramatically. While they did make a few small changes, including signing DE Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency and drafting CB A.J. Terrell with the No. 16 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, their defense still has a long way to go to contain with the top offenses in the competitive NFC South.

And there lies another problem for the Falcons. The NFC South appears to be stronger than ever. The Saints won 13 games last season despite QB Drew Brees missing a good chunk of time. Their roster might be the best in the league and it only got better this offseason. Tampa Bay made the biggest splash in free agency, signing QB Tom Brady to a two-year deal.

Given how talented the rest of the teams are in the division, the best the Falcons are looking at is a wild-card spot. With the NFC being highly competitive, that doesn’t feel likely, either. Look for Atlanta to be a better team in 2020, but don’t count on them making the playoffs.

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How many games will the Atlanta Falcons win in 2020? Bands

0-4 Wins: +1400

5-8 Wins: -223

9-12 Wins: +185

13-16 Wins: +12500

The safe bet here is to pick the Falcons to win between 5-8 games (-223) as they are still one of the more talented offenses in the NFL; however, the best value bet might be to pick the Falcons to win between 0-4 games (+1400).

While that does seem somewhat unlikely, they have a brutal start to the season as they will face the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers early on. The schedule gets easier in the middle, but Atlanta finishes the season with two games against the Buccaneers with a trip to Kansas City sandwiched in between.

If this Atlanta team struggles on offense at all, it could be a really rough season for the Falcons. Expect them to win between 6-8 games, but prepare for a pretty low floor given how old their offense is.

How many games will the Atlanta Falcons win in 2020? Exact number

According to BetMGM, the most likely outcome for the Falcons in 2020 is 8 wins (+280), but it isn’t the best value bet currently on the board. The Falcons winning 6 games (+400) seems like the right play given the odds and their schedule. It’s likely they are competitive in nearly every game this season, but don’t expect them to win many close games as their defense is still far too young.

If you believe there is a chance the bottom could fall out as mentioned above, exactly 4 wins (+1600) is an intriguing bet. With Ryan in his mid-30s and Jones (31) now in his 30s as well, the wheels could come off at any moment should one of these players miss time. The Falcons rely so heavily on those two players to carry them that even the slightest injury could spell massive trouble.

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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Arizona Cardinals playoff odds and predicted total wins: NFL futures picks and best bets

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

Will the Arizona Cardinals 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 Monday, May 18 at 10:15 a.m. ET.

Will the Arizona Cardinals make the 2020 NFL playoffs?

Yes: +275 | No: -358

The 2019 Cardinals were one of the league’s most fun teams, despite finishing just 5-10-1 and fourth in the NFC West. They started their season off with a tie against the Detroit Lions and nearly beat the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2.

With new head coach Kliff Kingsbury and rookie QB Kyler Murray, the offense got off to a bit of a slow start. The Cards averaged just 14.8 points per game over their first four contests, but in their final 12 games, they averaged nearly 24 points per game and the offense was becoming even more lethal in the final month of the season.

The Cardinals have had a fantastic offseason, adding All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins and DT Jordan Phillips. In the draft, they were able to add Mr. Versatile in LB Isaiah Simmons and a potential left tackle of the future in Josh Jones.

But can they make a run to the playoffs in the NFC? The NFC West remains one of the toughest divisions as the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have proven to be among the elites in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams are retooling, but head coach Sean McVay has yet to have a losing season in LA.

It’s probably a smart bet to AVOID betting on the Cardinals to make the playoffs in 2020, but there isn’t much value in betting “NO” either. Instead, look at the win totals instead for this young, fast Cardinals team.

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How many games will the Arizona Cardinals win in 2020? Bands

0-4 Wins: +750

5-8 Wins: -286

9-12 Wins: +310

13-16 Wins: +25000

While it may not be a smart bet to think the Cardinals will make the playoffs in 2020, don’t be surprised if this team is right on the edge of getting into the postseason.

Over the last decade, wild-card teams in the NFC routinely have 10 or more wins. And in some seasons, 10 wins doesn’t even qualify. That’s just how competitive and deep the conference has been over the last 10-12 years.

So, if you are looking for value, bet on the Cardinals to win 9-12 games (+310). They clearly will have one of the best offenses in the NFL and they have several big-name stars on defense like Chandler Jones, Patrick Peterson, and now Simmons. The defense likely won’t rank inside the top-10, but they will be good enough to get important stops. I like the Cardinals to win somewhere between 8-10 games in 2020.

How many games will the Arizona Cardinals win in 2020? Exact number

While many expect the Cardinals to be much better in 2020, predicting the number of wins can be awfully difficult; however, there are a few bets that do present a ton of value for bettors.

The first is 8 wins (+325) as that seems like a logical and realistic goal for Kingsbury in Year 2. Given the strength of the division and the conference, improving by 2.5 wins would certainly be a step in the right direction.

If you believe this team is going to make an even bigger leap than most expect, 9 wins (+500) is where the value really starts to happen. If Murray can take a leap as a passer as many expect (+2500 to win the NFL MVP), then it seems like this team could make a legitimate push for the playoffs. Given they played in a ton of one-score games last season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see two or three of those games go in their favor this season.

Any bet with the Cardinals winning, 8, 9 or 10 (+1000) games in 2020 presents a ton of value. Don’t be afraid to be bullish on the Cardinals this season.

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