Tag: NFL playoff predictions

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.

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

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.

Follow @EstenMcLaren 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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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.

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

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.

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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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.

Place your NFL futures bets at BetMGM, or play in their online casino. Bet now!

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.

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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