2025 NFL season preview, betting, odds: One bet I like for every NFL team

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/betting/article/2025-nfl-season-preview-betting-odds-one-bet-i-like-for-every-nfl-team-164607882.html

“Blue-32! Blue-32!”

I don’t know why we’re always yelling “Blue-32!” when running a fake offense in the schoolyard or in the park, but maybe it’s in honor of the number of teams in the NFL.

The NFL is the most popular betting sport in the United States and there are more ways to wager on your favorite players and teams than ever before. In this article, we’re going to go up-tempo, looking at a variety of them as we find one bet worth making for each of the 32 teams.

“Blue-32! Set! Hut!”

Here is one wager I like for every NFL team this season:

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Arizona Cardinals

Hypothetically, if you liked tight end Trey McBride to lead the league in receptions, and you thought he could even catch the most touchdown passes (at long odds), you probably wouldn’t mind paying a little juice on the Cardinals’ burgeoning star to score five touchdowns this season.

Bet: Trey McBride Over 4.5 TDs (-143)

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Atlanta Falcons

Running back Bijan Robinson could have the type of MVP-adjacent season that Saquon Barkley had last year. Though, he might need Barkley to dial back his rushing yardage output in order to win the rushing title.

Bet: Bijan Robinson to lead NFL in rushing yards (+900)

Baltimore Ravens

Any season-long futures bets on the Ravens get more or less valuable depending on what happens in Buffalo on Sunday night. The Bills should have no trouble winning the AFC East, but we don’t bet against Lamar Jackson in primetime. Baltimore gets its revenge from the loss back in January, in a decidedly warmer Orchard Park.

Bet: Ravens Week 1 ML (-110) at Bills

Buffalo Bills

We’re told the Bills run an “everybody eats” offense. While that worked nicely for a surprise season out of Khalil Shakir last season to earn “No. 1” status, the Bills brought in 25-year-old Joshua Palmer to also swing by the buffet. He exceeded this total with the Chargers in three straight seasons.

Bet: Joshua Palmer Over 525.5 receiving yards (-110)

Carolina Panthers

If there was a division to pick a long shot, it’s in the NFC South, where the bar for winning the division is annually pretty low. If the Panthers turn a very strong second-half of last season into a surprise 2025, voters will ignore their irritation about Dave Canales’ chiseled handsomeness, and give him all the credit for remaking Bryce Young to get Carolina back in the playoffs.

Bet: Dave Canales to win Coach of the Year (16-1)

Chicago Bears

Apparently, Caleb Williams is “determined to be the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears’ history.” Well, we’re determined to win money if he does, knowing that if it comes down to needing a few extra yards late in the season, Williams will be shooting for this milestone.

Bet: Caleb Williams to throw more than 4,000 passing yards (+200)

Cincinnati Bengals

On the positive side, I couldn’t decide which of the many pro-Bengals season-long props on Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins that we have over at THE WINDOW to recommend here, but the hope for another big statistical season for the Cincinnati offense is predicated on the Bengals being bad everywhere else again.

Bet: To miss the playoffs (+120)

Cleveland Browns

While he wasn’t given the award last year, Myles Garrett was again the most dominant defensive player in the NFL. We’ll keep betting on him to win Defensive Player of the Year until that’s no longer the case. Especially when he’s not even the favorite.

Bet: Myles Garrett to win DPOY (+850)

Dallas Cowboys

Go shopping for the 15-1 price that’s out there, as Dak Prescott (four two-interception games before getting hurt last season) will have to sling it with abandon again this season — especially without Micah Parsons on defense. Don’t worry, Cowboys fans, he’s also a viable bet to throw for the most yards too.

Bet: Dak Prescott to lead the NFL in interceptions (+1200)

Denver Broncos

If you can stomach a quasi-fade of the Chiefs, a playoff team from last season that’s trending upwards almost has to be a bet at +310. The Broncos, Chargers and Vikings are the only such teams to be priced that way this season, and Denver’s the only one of the three whose arrow is pointing up.

Bet: Broncos to win the AFC West (+310)

Detroit Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs finished in a three-way tie for the league lead in rushing touchdowns last season, and if you’re like me, you might be more afraid of Gibbs in the passing game (517 receiving yards and four more TDs) on any given play. I think 2,000 yards from scrimmage and over 20 touchdowns is doable.

Bet: Jahmyr Gibbs to win Offensive Player of the Year (10-1)

Green Bay Packers

The trade for Parsons dried up much in the way of value when it comes to pro-Packers betting, but there’s still a little meat left on the Jordan Love bone.

Love had 32 TDs two seasons ago, but the Packers got 20 TDs from running backs last season, and a banged-up Love (who missed two games) only had 25, setting up a plus-money price on this for 2025.

Bet: Jordan Love to throw 30 or more passing touchdowns (+185)

Is Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love in store for an MVP season? (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

(Justin Casterline via Getty Images)

Houston Texans

Yes, it’s another DPOY bet, as we’ve started a four-player portfolio in that market over at THE WINDOW. Will Anderson is trending toward a sack-per-game rate for his third season, and if he does, he should be in the hunt for the award as the representative of an outstanding Texans defense.

Bet: Will Anderson Jr. to win Defensive Player of the Year (12-1)

Indianapolis Colts

Because I couldn’t just type “all of the Jonathan Taylor long-shot futures.”

Bet: Jonathan Taylor to score most rushing touchdowns (15-1)

Jacksonville Jaguars

We’re not supposed to give a player the Comeback Player of the Year because he stunk and now he doesn’t, so it’s convenient that Lawrence missed the last half of 2024. If new head coach Liam Coen gets Lawrence to reach his potential, voters will give him this award, citing the injury and not an on-field transformation, but you and I know what the real deal is … oh yes, you and I know.

Bet: Trevor Lawrence to win Comeback Player of the Year (+500)

Kansas City Chiefs

He’s getting engaged (oh, you hadn’t heard?). He’s stumping for Shedeur Sanders.

When Travis Kelce finds out that he didn’t actually retire last year and he’s expected to be in Brazil on Friday, imagine the look on his face. His numbers were already trending downward, and it’s hard to imagine they don’t keep falling in what is sure to be Kelce’s final season.

Bet: Travis Kelce Under 700.5 receiving yards (-114)

Las Vegas Raiders

Chip Kelly, meet Brock Bowers, your newest walking mismatch to design offense for.

“Hey, Geno Smith, yes, that’s Brock, right over there. He’s going to make your life easier than a Vegas VIP host.”

Bowers’ 112 receptions in his rookie season should just be the tip of the iceberg for, possibly, the best pass-catching tight end in the NFL already.

Bet: Brock Bowers to lead NFL in receptions (11-1)

Los Angeles Chargers

Eventually, when you realize you’re relatively high on the Broncos and Raiders, plus Patrick Mahomes still exists, it occurs that maybe a bet on the under for the Chargers’ win total might be a good way to express all of those realizations. In fact, if Justin Herbert were to miss some time, things could get dark early in L.A. with the talent drain from the roster in recent years.

Bet: Under 9.5 wins (-120)

Los Angeles Rams

I told you there were more in the DPOY portfolio! Jared Verse should at least be on trial for the charge of putting Terron Armstead into retirement, and last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year is going to the right former Ram to step his game up even further.

Bet: Jared Verse to win Defensive Player of the Year (12-1)

Miami Dolphins

It seems like every second day, there’s news out of Miami that will make anyone interested in the Dolphins turn into the Michael Scott gif where he’s saying, “Nope. Don’t like that.”

Right now, given the Fins’ depth chart at offensive line and in the secondary, the only reason to like Miami is that everyone seems to agree that it could be a rough season.

Bet: Under 7.5 wins (-110)

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Minnesota Vikings

A year after the Packers traded Aaron Jones Sr. in for a younger model (Josh Jacobs), are the Vikings looking to do the same?

Minnesota acquired the 26-year-old Jordan Mason from San Francisco — a tailback with far less tread on his tires than the 30-year-old Jones. Mason averaged 5.3 yards per carry in his career, compared to Jones’ 4.5 last season.

Bet: Aaron Jones Under 725.5 rushing yards (-120)

New England Patriots

Given RB TreVeyon Henderson’s explosiveness, it’s entirely possible he can rack up half of the yards needed to go over 700 yards on five or six carries. So, it’s not like we need to sweat whether he’s officially the No. 1 running back in New England. Of course, given Rhamondre Stevenson’s lack of explosiveness, it will be hard to believe if Henderson isn’t.

Bet: TreVeyon Henderson Over 700.5 rushing yards (-110)

New Orleans Saints

Last season, quarterbacks not named Derek Carr averaged just over 13 points when forced into action. With Carr abruptly retiring, will Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough be able to do notably better? If not, over 17 games, a similarly low PPG will have New Orleans among the bottom of the league.

Bet: Saints to score fewest points in NFL (+500)

New York Giants

Malik Nabers is already a top candidate to lead the league in receptions.

It shouldn’t take much to tap into the explosiveness that Nabers had at the start of last season (when Daniel Jones was the quarterback), with any or all of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston or Jaxson Dart.

As long as it’s not Tommy DeVito — the QB when Nabers didn’t have a long reception for a huge chunk of the season and who’s now with the Patriots — Nabers should turn his high volume of catches into a high volume of yardage.

Bet: Malik Nabers to lead NFL in receiving yards (12-1)

New York Jets

The way some are speaking relatively optimistically about the Jets, you’d think that they’d never seen:

The organization in action, or
Justin Fields play quarterback.

The Jets’ two best players are rendered largely ineffective if Fields can’t get it to Garrett Wilson, and opponents don’t have to throw (anywhere near Sauce Gardner).

Bet: Worst record in the NFL (+800)

Philadelphia Eagles

Almost 4,000 passing yards, over 500 rushing yards, around 40 total touchdowns, and an awesome team — that’s the criteria that Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have reached in winning the last two MVPs.

If Jalen Hurts can get back to his passing yardage in 2022 and 2023, and do his usual damage on the ground, while the Eagles win the NFC East again, he’s just as likely to win MVP at 18-1 as the quarterbacks lined in the single digits.

Bet: Jalen Hurts to win MVP (18-1)

Pittsburgh Steelers

If you’re looking to hedge the Aaron Rodgers’ experience somehow being a success in Pittsburgh, this is the way to do it. Managing Rodgers and everything that comes with an aged quarterback who doesn’t know he’s aged, will be the pièce de résistance on Mike Tomlin’s resume, finally getting him an NFL Coach of the Year nod.

Bet: Mike Tomlin to win Coach of the Year (35-1)

Seattle Seahawks

Pair this up with the Saints, on the premise that the Seahawks — who couldn’t run the ball, have a shaky offensive line, and replaced DK Metcalf with Cooper Kupp — might have trouble getting the best version of Sam Darnold. Plus, if Darnold doesn’t survive to play 17 games, Drew Lock will be at the helm. Woof.

Bet: Seahawks to score fewest points in NFL (28-1)

San Francisco 49ers

We may not really know if the 49ers are all that great until the playoffs, but their schedule is so soft that it might not matter if they can steal the top seed in the NFC because of it.

The odds to make the Super Bowl are merely a function of probability based on the potential path, and the 49ers have as good a chance as any team to get the first-round bye and a home game in the second round, but because they missed the playoffs last season, they’re not priced like it.

Bet: 49ers to win the NFC (+900)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

From a numbers standpoint, RB Bucky Irving is just a newer, long-shot version of Jahmyr Gibbs. Irving wasn’t the clear-cut No. 1 tailback until the latter half of 2024 (kind of like Gibbs), but once he was, his usage and production averages project to the magic number of 2,000 scrimmage yards a running back needs for Offensive Player of the Year consideration.

Bet: Bucky Irving to win Offensive Player of the Year (50-1)

Tennessee Titans

If both stay healthy, this should be a two-horse race between Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty, and the tie almost always goes to the quarterback in voting (or in the case of the 2024 Heisman Trophy, it goes to the hybrid receiver/cornerback). An unforeseen receiver popping off, or a quick entry into the starting QB job for Jaxson Dart, are the only things that could confuse the situation.

Bet: Cam Ward to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+350)

Washington Commanders

Finishing fifth in the NFL in total points with a rookie quarterback is impressive. With another year of working together, Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury shouldn’t just not miss a beat, they’ll add a couple for the sub-woofers on the Commanders’ bandwagon. As a team, Washington’s defense is still more than a little suspect, but that only helps our case, as it causes urgency for Daniels and company to keep piling up the points.

Bet: Commanders to lead the NFL in points scored (11-1)

You can find more valuable bets and analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/betting/article/2025-nfl-season-preview-betting-odds-one-bet-i-like-for-every-nfl-team-164607882.html