win totals

Jaguars’ updated win total odds after 10 games

The latest odds think the Jags will only win a couple more games, at best.

Jacksonville was expected to be in for a bit of a rebuilding year after a 1-15 finish in 2020, but this squad hasn’t fared much better. It sits at 2-8, and though it boasts a win over a likely playoff team in the Buffalo Bills, there hasn’t been much to celebrate aside from that.

Still, there are several winnable games left on the slate, such as this Sunday’s game against Atlanta, the home matchup vs. Houston, and a game against the New York Jets. Still, Tipico Sportsbook doesn’t see the Jags winning many more games, setting the over/under for the regular-season win total at 4.5.

Over 4.5: +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
Under 4.5: -170 (bet $170 to win $100)

The Jags have shown some signs of improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But while that group is playing better, the offense seems to be regressing as it is now down D.J. Chark Jr. and Jamal Agnew at receiver.

The odds seem to think the Jags will only win two more games, maximum, and looking at the remaining schedule, it’s easy to understand why. Still, Jacksonville will try to steal a couple more wins in 2021 to head into the offseason with a bit of momentum.

CBS Sports says to take the over on Penn State’s win total in 2021

Penn State faces a challenging 2021 schedule, but CBS Sports is expecting a rebound season from the Nittany Lions.

The Penn State Nittany Lions face a rather challenging schedule in the 2021 college football season, but a bit of a rebound season seems to be expected by many. After a disaster of a 2020 season, Penn State is gearing up for a return to a winning season this fall with plenty of reasons to be optimistic. But just how many games will Penn State grab this season?

CBS Sports recently took a look at the projected win totals for every team in the Big Ten and gave recommendations from Tom Fornelli on whether to take the over or the under on each. With Penn State’s win total being set at nine, the Nittany Lions are a tough pick to make given the strength of schedule facing them.

But after suggesting Penn State could end up being a push, meaning nine wins could be the final number, Fornelli leans toward taking the over for Penn State. Here’s what he had to say about Penn State’s season and his reasoning for going over;

This is another situation like Michigan where the total takes a little too much from the 2020 season in the projection. It’s also another pick in which I think there’s a strong chance you’re sitting around for months waiting to push. In the end, I don’t see Penn State winning road games against Wisconsin and Ohio State very often, but I do think it will be favored in its other 10 games. Even if it slips up somewhere, I see 9-3 happening a lot more often than 8-4.

Penn State is a slight underdog on the road in the season opener at Wisconsin according to BetMGM. And Penn State goes on the road to two intimidating environments this season at Iowa and Ohio State. Throw in home games against Auburn, Indiana, and Michigan and you can potentially see why going over nine wins may be a tough sell for some who remember the dreadful 0-5 start to the season in 2020.

But as Fornelli points out, don’t let the 2020 season cloud your vision too much. Penn State’s 2020 season was far from the level of play the program had experienced in the years leading up to it. And given a more regular offseason and a full spring practice schedule behind them, perhaps Penn State is primed to go over nine wins and return to a notable bowl game in 2021.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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National championship, Heisman and Oklahoma win total odds per BetMGM

A look at betting odds for Oklahoma’s win totals, Big 12 Championship, the CFP and Heisman Trophy.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team brought the NCAA national championship back to Norman, Oklahoma, and now focus shifts back to the upcoming college football season.

Lincoln Riley and company have high aspirations as they aim to bring home their seventh-straight conference title and a return to CFP.

While the team is aiming for the shot at a national championship, quarterback Spencer Rattler could be eying the Heisman Memorial Trophy by season’s end. A look at BetMGM‘s odds for win totals, Big 12 Conference championship, Heisman Trophy and the national championship odds.

When it comes to wins, the Oklahoma football team walked away with nine in 11 games last year. This included one nonconference and eight conference games. The West Virginia game was dropped due to positive COVID-19 tests. The Sooners defeated Iowa State in the title game and throttled Florida in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

With a full 12-game schedule, a conference title game and at least one College Football Playoff game they would play 14 games. Can the Sooners win over 11 games in 2021?

Over 11 (-120)

Under 11 (+100)

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Next, Conference Championship Odds

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Saints projected to fall short of double-digit finish in 2021 win totals

The New Orleans Saints are projected to come up short of double digit wins for the first time since 2016, per the oddsmakers at BetMGM.

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Just how successful will the Saints be without Drew Brees? Oh, and the many other starters and key role players who left town in the offseason (to say nothing of the coaching staff losses). One outlet cooling expectations is BetMGM, whose oddsmakers set the Saints 2021 win total at 9 games.

That would mean New Orleans’ first season with fewer than 11 wins since 2016. But with so many hits taken across the roster, it might be surprising that the Saints are even expected to have a winning record.

For now, the Saints slot in among returning 2020 playoff teams ranked behind the Seahawks (9.5) and tied with the Titans (9), but ahead of the Steelers (8.5), Washington Football Team (8), and Bears (7). Within the NFC South, the Saints have received BetMGM’s second-best projected win total behind the Buccaneers (11.5) while the Falcons and Panthers fight for third place (7.5 each).

We’ll see how things shake out as free agency resumes after the 2021 NFL draft. If the Saints can find a lockdown cornerback to pair with Marshon Lattimore and reinforce their defensive front, expectations should rise. And if Jameis Winston has grown as anticipated, maybe they’ll cruise past that over/under.

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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ESPN FPI projects another high Saints win total, strong Super Bowl chances

The New Orleans Saints are expected to make a lot of noise in pursuit of Super Bowl 55, according to ESPN win totals and playoff chances.

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Expectations couldn’t be higher for the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2020 season. A second Super Bowl title is on the line in what may be the final year Drew Brees plays in the NFL, considering his contract structure and retirement plans with NBC’s broadcasting team. Anything less than a championship win would be disappointing.

Fortunately, this year’s team might be up to the task. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI for short) predicted NFL win totals and chances of reaching the postseason (plus Super Bowl odds), and their metrics favor the Saints. In a ranking of every team, listed from No. 1 to 32, New Orleans clocked in at No. 4. However, that’s one spot behind the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and top-ranked Kansas City Chiefs.

But that simple ranking doesn’t tell the whole story. The Saints are projected to win 10.2 games this year, the same number as the 49ers, but their slightly-easier strength of schedule (based off 2019 results) gives New Orleans a slight edge in the race for a playoffs berth (83%) over San Francisco (81%).

And when you whittle it down to Super Bowl odds, the Saints have the narrowest of leads (13%) over the 49ers (12%), thanks to those same scheduling factors. While Tom Brady’s Buccaneers might make it tough, the Saints are still favored to win their third NFC South title in as many years. Meanwhile, the 49ers must cope with a tougher slate of opponents as well as the always-competitive NFC West.

We’ll see if the Saints have surrounded Brees with enough talent to get over their postseason hurdles. On offense, he’s protected by maybe the NFL’s best offensive line, with a squad of pass-catchers including Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, and Emmanuel Sanders. On the other side of the ball, leaders like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, and Malcolm Jenkins are acutely aware of what’s at stake.

Maybe it’ll take an edge on special teams, where Pro Bowl talents thrive at kicker (Wil Lutz), punter (Thomas Morstead), and in the return game (Deonte Harris fielding kicks with J.T. Gray and Justin Hardee paving the way). Or maybe Taysom Hill is more of an X-factor than most expect. Whether the 2020 Saints season ends by going up in flames or with confetti dropping from the rafters, it’s going to be must-see TV.

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ESPN FPI forecasts Chiefs’ win total, playoff, Super Bowl chances

ESPN’s Football Power Index has the Kansas City Chiefs with a 94% chance to make the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2020 NFL season as Super Bowl LIV champions. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, they also enter the season as the NFL’s best team and favorite to repeat in Super Bowl LV.

FPI is ESPN’s prediction tool for the NFL, which was developed in 2015. It ranks teams but also calculates win totals, playoff and Super Bowl chances. Here is the quick and dirty rundown of how the model works: It predicts offensive, defensive and special teams efficiency for the upcoming seasons based on a number of different factors such as previous team efficiencies, EPA per play, returning starters, and injuries. All of the factors are accounted for in single-game projections. Then each team’s season is simulated by ESPN a total of 10,000 times, providing calculations for win totals, playoff and Super Bowl chances.

The 2020 offseason has been really good to Kansas City so far. They’re returning a 20-of-22 offensive and defensive starters from the Super Bowl. They haven’t had any significant injuries or coaching changes during the offseason. That appears to have helped them in the FPI model.

After running the simulations, the Chiefs are ranked No. 1 and projected at 11.2 wins per ESPN FPI. They also have a 94% chance to make the playoffs with a 21% chance to win Super Bowl LV, which makes them the second-largest preseason favorite since FPI was created. It’s worth noting that Kansas City was also the preseason favorite to win Super Bowl LIV in 2019 FPI with a 15% chance.

One thing that really seemed to help the Chiefs in these rankings is the fact that they’re more than a touchdown better on offense than the average NFL team. ESPN also noted that offense is more easily predictable on a year-to-year basis than defense. They basically expect Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and the rest of the offensive playmakers to continue to be really good in 2020.

A few other nuggets related to Kansas City from ESPN’s FPI forecast:

The Denver Broncos are predicted to have the toughest schedule in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders coming in with the third-toughest. That is in part due to the fact they have to face the Chiefs twice during the regular season.
The AFC West is tied with the AFC South for the most-likely division in the AFC to boast the seventh playoff team in the NFL’s new playoff format.

The big question that I’m not certain this prediction model or any model can account for — How will the lack of offseason training thus far impact the Chiefs and other teams? The answer to that question could certainly impact ESPN FPI’s forecast.

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NFL team win totals: 5 over bets to make for 2020

A look at BetMGM’s NFL team win totals for 2020 and which Over bets you should make.

Win totals are out for all NFL teams the 2020 season. Every year, teams exceed those expectations, but the hard part is to know which teams will. Here we give you five teams on which you should take the Over and why.

2020 win totals

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday, April 12 at 11:30 a.m. ET.

These are the win totals for all 32 NFL teams.

Arizona Cardinals: Over 7 -115, Under 7 -105
Atlanta Falcons: Over 7.5 -110, Under 7.5 -110
Baltimore Ravens: Over 11 -105, Under 11 -115
Buffalo Bills: Over 8.5 -189, Under 8.5 +155
Carolina Panthers: Over 5.5 -120, Under 5.5 +100
Chicago Bears: Over 8.5 +105, Under 8.5 -125
Cleveland Browns: Over 8.5 +110, Under 8.5 -130
Dallas Cowboys: Over 9.5 -115, Under 9.5 -105
Denver Broncos: Over 7.5 -105, Under 7.5 -115
Detroit Lions: Over 6.5 -125, Under 6.5 +105
Green Bay Packers: Over 9 -120, Under 9 +100
Houston Texans: Over 7.5 -150, Under 7.5 +125
Indianapolis Colts: Over 8.5 -154, Under 8.5 +130
Jacksonville Jaguars: Over 5.5 +115, Under 5.5 -139
Kansas City Chiefs: Over 11.5 -139, Under 11.5 +115
Las Vegas Raiders: Over 7.5 -105, Under 7.5 -115
Los Angeles Chargers: Over 7.5 -120, Under 7.5 +100
Los Angeles Rams: Over 8.5 -139, Under 8.5 +115
Miami Dolphins: Over 6 -110, Under 6 -110
Minnesota Vikings: Over 8.5 -159, Under 8.5 +130
New England Patriots: Over 9.5 +110, Under 9.5 -130
New Orleans Saints: Over 10.5 -110, Under 10.5 -110
New York Giants: Over 6.5 +105, Under 6.5 -105
New York Jets: Over 6.5 -115, Under 6.5 -105
Philadelphia Eagles: Over 9.5 +105, Under 9.5 -125
Pittsburgh Steelers: Over 9 -110, Under 9 -110
San Francisco 49ers: Over 10.5 -145, Under 10.5 +120
Seattle Seahawks: Over 9.5 +125, Under 9.5 -150
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Over 9 -139, Under 9 +115
Tennessee Titans: Over 8.5 -115, Under 8.5 -105
Washington Redskins: Over 5 -115, Under 5 -105

5 Over bets to make

Looking to wager on NFL win totals? Place a bet at BetMGM.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 (-139)

The Bucs won seven games a year ago with QB Jameis Winston throwing 30 interceptions and with a defense that was awful most of the year. They replaced Winston with QB Tom Brady. The offensive weapons are still there and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ defense will be better from Week 1 as he has a track record of very good defenses.

Arizona Cardinals 7 (-115)

The Cards’ potent offense in 2019 will be even better. QB Kyler Murray enters his second year after an Offensive Rookie of the Year performance in 2019. RB Kenyan Drake will be there the whole season and they added WR DeAndre Hopkins. In free agency, they upgraded three starting spots. If the defense, which was almost the worst in the league in 2019, is only okay, they should still win more than seven games.

Detroit Lions 6.5 (-125)

The Lions won only three games last season but that can be attributed to QB Matthew Stafford being injured. They won three of eight games when he played. The defense improved in the offseason. They are good for a 7-9 or 8-8 season.

Houston Texans 7.5 (-150)

Despite what you think about head coach Bill O’Brien, Houston has had double-digit wins each of the last two seasons. That has more to do with QB Deshaun Watson than O’Brien. They did lose Hopkins to the Cardinals in a trade but he now has RB David Johnson, WR Randall Cobb and WR Brandin Cooks. They will still be relevant in the AFC South.

Indianapolis Colts 8.5 (-154)

The Colts won seven games in 2019 with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Now they have an aging Philip Rivers but there is no doubt he is better than Brissett. The offensive weapons are still there and the defense is still talented.

Want some action on any of these? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

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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2020 NFL team win totals: 5 Under bets to make

Looking at 2020 NFL team win totals and picking 5 Under bets to make.

The Over/Under win totals for every NFL team are posted at BetMGM, and while a lot of teams seem poised to go Over their projected number, it’s difficult to predict which ones will come in Under the projection in a disappointing 2020 campaign.

We’ve picked out five Under bets to make this year, expecting all five of these teams to come up short in 2020. The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns have been disappointments for years with little hope of turning around, while the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears have quarterback questions to answer.

New York Giants: 6.5 (-125)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday, April 11 at 9:15 a.m. ET.

The Giants have averaged only four wins per season over the last three years and it’s not as if they’ve improved during that span, either. Last season, they went 4-12 with an abysmal minus-110 point differential. QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley carry promise on offense, but there are durability concerns with Barkley, TE Evan Engram, WR Sterling Shepard and the offensive line has yet to be fixed. It’s hard to feel confident in the Giants winning at least seven games, which they’ve done just once since 2014.

Las Vegas Raiders: 7.5 (-115)

The Raiders are still rebuilding and don’t know exactly who their quarterback will be. They’ve won more than seven games only once since 2012 and have numerous holes on their roster needing to be filled – primarily at wide receiver and in the secondary. Whether it’s Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota running the show under center, the Raiders won’t be a .500 team. Take the Under and lock them in with a losing record in 2020.

Chicago Bears: 8.5 (-125)

Like the Raiders, the Bears have a quarterback controversy on their hands. Mitchell Trubisky will have to fend off Nick Foles this offseason, though neither QB is a very good option in Chicago. The Bears have plenty of talent on defense with Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith and Eddie Jackson, but the offense doesn’t look like a unit that will strike fear in many opponents. They won’t win more than eight games next season.

Looking to wager on NFL win totals? Place a bet at BetMGM.

Cleveland Browns: 8.5 (-130)

Until the Browns actually prove they’re not the same sub-.500 team they’ve been each year since 2007, I refuse to believe they’ve turned the corner. Cleveland was one of the most-hyped teams in the NFL before last season and all the Browns did was go 6-10 to finish third in the AFC North. QB Baker Mayfield, RB Nick Chubb, WR Odell Beckham Jr. and WR Jarvis Landry are all big-name players, but they must play up to expectations. Last season, they absolutely did not, and the defense wasn’t nearly good enough either. With another new head coach, there could be an adjustment period, too.

Indianapolis Colts: 8.5 (+130)

Say what you will about Philip Rivers, but it’s hard to watch his tape from recent years and think he can lead the Colts to the playoffs. The Over/Under of 8.5 wins is fairly high and I’m not ready to call Indianapolis a winning team, even with Rivers under center. They went 7-9 last season and 4-12 in the other season Andrew Luck missed (2017), so they’ve had very little success without the former franchise QB. Darius Leonard, Malik Hooker and T.Y. Hilton are reasons for optimism, as is the offensive line led by Quenton Nelson, but Rivers’ shaky play will be their undoing.

Want some action on any of these? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

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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Saints receive one of the NFL’s highest over/under win totals for 2020

The Saints enter the 2020 season with high expectations. The oddsmakers at BetMGM project one of the highest over/under win totals for them.

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Battle lines are already being drawn up across the NFL with teams eyeing a shot at Super Bowl LV, with the Kansas City Chiefs hoping to defend their title while everyone else looks to dethrone them. Some squads have better chances than the rest, thanks to intelligent roster design and bold moves in free agency.

And the oddsmakers at BetMGM expect the Saints to be in that number. Their initial over/under win totals have the Saints at 10, which is a nice spot considering New Orleans has won 26 of their last 32 regular season games. The only team in the NFC with a higher total is the San Francisco 49ers, narrowly, at 10.5. Just two other teams sit above them: the Chiefs (11.5) and the Baltimore Ravens (11).

As luck would have it, the Saints are set to host both the 49ers and the Chiefs inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this season. So we should get a quick read on just how New Orleans stacks up against other Super Bowl contenders.

We’d be remiss not to survey the rest of the NFC South, while we’re here. BetMGM’s oddsmakers have put up over/under win totals for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9), Atlanta Falcons (7.5), and Carolina Panthers (5.5), which feels bold given those teams’ combined record of 19-29 last year. Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater may have their work cut out for them in playing catch-up with the Saints.

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 oddsmakers believe Broncos will be slightly better in 2020

How many games will the Broncos win during the 2020 NFL season? Las Vegas thinks the team will be only slightly better than last year.

Las Vegas seems to think the Denver Broncos will be a better team in 2020 than they were in 2019, though not by much.

Denver has an over/under win total of eight for next season, according to odds from BetOnline (via Odds Shark). That’s slightly better than last year when the Broncos were given an over/under of seven wins.

The oddsmakers were on to something in 2019 as Denver ended the season with a 7-9 record. Broncos fans can only hope the team hits the over on eight wins this year.

Here are the odds for each team in the AFC:

Kansas City Chiefs 11.5
Baltimore Ravens 11
New England Patriots 10.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 9
Buffalo Bills 8.5
Houston Texans 8.5
Tennessee Titans 8.5
Cleveland Browns 8
Denver Broncos 8
Indianapolis Colts 7.5
Los Angeles Chargers 7.5
Las Vegas Raiders 7
Jacksonville Jaguars 6.5
New York Jets 6.5
Cincinnati Bengals 5.5
Miami Dolphins 5.5

If the oddsmakers are right, Denver would finish as the ninth-best team in the AFC. Only the top six teams in the conference will make the playoffs.

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