The eleventh week of the NFL season is in the books. With only seven weeks remaining in the regular season, the playoff race continues to heat up. For the NFL bettors among us, now is the ideal time to get down on any number of midseason NFL futures betting picks. Among some of the NFL futures bets to consider are odds for a team to win its division, make the playoffs and more.
Week 12 gets underway early thanks to a Thanksgiving Day tripleheader. As such, there is no time to waste when it comes to making NFL futures bets this week. Here are three NFL futures betting picks to make RIGHT NOW that are bound to provide thrilling sweats for the remainder of the season!
Best Midseason NFL Futures Betting Picks
All NFL futures betting odds taken from MyBookie Sportsbook
Bet #1: Detroit Lions to Make the Playoffs
So, just because the Lions have won three straight means we’re going to place an NFL futures bet on them to make the playoffs? While momentum is certainly a plus, there are many more reasons to back Detroit than a three-game winning streak. Heck, the profitable +780 odds on the Lions to simply make the playoffs are reason enough to take a swing!
It took some time, but it appears as though Dan Campbell finally has this team playing up to its full potential. If that continues, it’s honestly tough to envision Detroit losing any more than two games the rest of the way. After hosting the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day, the Lions’ remaining schedule is as follows:
- vs. Jacksonville
- vs. Minnesota
- at New York Jets
- at Carolina
- vs. Chicago
- at Green Bay
Needless to say, there is not a single “daunting” opponent left on the schedule. Other than the Bills and Vikings, none of Detroit’s remaining opponents will be playing in the postseason.
Speaking of the Vikings, keep in mind that the Lions nearly beat them on the road earlier this season. All of the luck and good fortune that Minnesota has been having this season is bound to correct itself sooner or later. As such, bettors may not want to write off the NFC North Division race just yet either!
As for the NFC Wild Card picture, a quick look at the updated standings shows that the Lions are trying to chase down the incredible trio of the New York Giants (who they just beat), the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Commanders for a playoff spot. None of those teams are scaring anyone, especially not Campbell and his Lions!
As if you needed any more reasons to consider an NFL futures bet on the Lions to make the playoffs, it should also be noted that rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams has officially been cleared to return to practice. The No. 12 overall pick will only make the surging Lions’ offense that much scarier.
NFL Futures Betting Picks: Lions to Make the Playoffs (+780 at MyBookie Sportsbook)
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Bet #2: New England Patriots to Make the Playoffs
Having won three straight and five of their last six overall, the Patriots are firmly entrenched in the AFC Wild Card race. New England is also situated just one game back of Miami and Buffalo in the AFC East Division standings. With a nasty defense and an offense that continues to get healthier, the Patriots are an appealing midseason option in the NFL futures betting market.
Betting against Bill Belichick is always a risky proposition. Sure enough, the greatest coach in NFL history has his defense playing lights out midway through the regular season. Through 11 weeks, the Patriots rank first in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Football Outsiders. Five of their last six opponents have been held to 17 points or less. In three of those games, New England didn’t allow more than a field goal!
For as poorly as the Patriots’ offense has played at times this season, the unit has also been battling countless injuries. With the majority of key contributors now healthy, one has to view New England’s chances of making the playoffs much more favorably than the NFL futures odds are suggesting.
As far as the remaining schedule, the Patriots still have everything sitting in front of them. It all begins on Thanksgiving Night with a road contest against Minnesota. Given how well New England’s defense is playing, it’s hard to believe that the Vikings’ offense will be lighting up the scoreboard. Kirk Cousins is notorious for playing terribly in primetime games, making a Patriots upset win that much more likely.
Looking past Week 12, the Pats still have two games against Buffalo and a home game against Miami. Those three matchups will be massive when it comes to the AFC East Division race. New England will also host Cincinnati, one of its primary competitors in the Wild Card race, in Foxborough next month.
NFL Futures Betting Picks: Patriots to Make the Playoffs (-101 at MyBookie Sportsbook)
Bet #3: AFC Championship Winner
- Buffalo Bills: +202
- Kansas City Chiefs: +214
- Baltimore Ravens: +610
- Miami Dolphins: +850
- Cincinnati Bengals: +1200
- Tennessee Titans: +1300
- Los Angeles Chargers: +2600
- New England Patriots: +3000
Many NFL talking heads seemed to indicate that the Chiefs’ Super Bowl window closed as soon as Tyreek Hill was traded to Miami. Or maybe it was when Kansas City elected not to resign safety, Tyrann Mathieu. Well, for the record, the Chiefs are anything but a “pretender” in the AFC this season.
Through 11 weeks, Kansas City sits in a familiar position at the very top of the conference standings. While Buffalo notably holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over them, it may not even impact the Chiefs’ ability to land the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs. After all, the Bills still have to worry about winning their own division before contending for a First Round bye.
Of course, many will give props to Patrick Mahomes for carrying the Chiefs to an 8-2 start. To an extent, these kudos are warranted. After all, Mahomes clearly has the inside track to winning the NFL MVP Award. When running down the Chiefs’ depth chart and key contributors, however, one thing that really stands out is the impeccable drafting abilities of the team’s front office.
On offense, rookie Isiah Pacheco has emerged as the team’s best running back. With multiple receivers out last week due to injury, another rookie by the name of Skyy Moore stepped up huge in the passing game. Add in the team’s willingness to sign cheaper but effective receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and this year’s version of the Chiefs is perhaps deeper and even more dangerous than the teams of the recent past.
Where the Chiefs’ youth movement is even more evident is on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay, nickelback L’Jarius Snead and pass-rusher Georgie Karlaftis have all been drafted within the last three years! Oh, and let’s not forget that the Chiefs are also starting a pair of rookie corners in Trent McDuffie and Joshua Williams. The defense may be young, but it sure has surpassed expectations.
Combine the Chiefs’ plethora of young talent with the coaching brilliance of Andy Reid and perhaps the only thing that could prevent this team from returning to the Super Bowl is themselves.
NFL Futures Betting Picks: Chiefs to Win the AFC (+214 at MyBookie Sportsbook)
