ed welch
Three weeks of NFL football are in the books, and already the futures odds that predicted the road map for the 2019 season have been shaken to the core. Perhaps the most volatile futures market is divisional odds.
With a number of contending teams stumbling out of the blocks and injuries handicapping others, the odds to win the NFL’s respective divisions could hold some solid value – if you know where to look.
Here are some expert sports betting picks for the NFL division odds heading into Week 4:
Philadelphia Eagles +200 to win NFC East
The Eagles are one of those top teams having issues to open the schedule. Philadelphia is 1-2 after three games with big injuries on both side of the ball. Philadelphia opened the NFC East odds at a 1/1 even money option – the favorite to win the division at most books. Now, with the teams troubles and the Dallas Cowboys hot start, the Eagles have now double those returns at 2/1.
Injuries will heal and this Philly team has plenty of fight left. Dallas is 3-0 through three weeks but has wins over New York, Washington and Miami – three of the worst teams in the league. While the Eagles may not win this Thursday in Green Bay – and you may want to wait another week to get better odds on their divisional price – they still have a great shot of righting the ship and winning the NFC East.
Detroit Lions +750 to win NFC North
Despite being undefeated, the Lions are still last in the NFC North pecking order. Every other team on this list has shown some crucial faults: Chicago’s QB play, Minnesota’s turnovers, Green Bay’s new offense. All have left questions around those divisional contenders. However, Detroit has stepped up with solid performances the past two weeks – beating Los Angeles and Philadelphia – and was a fourth-quarter collapse away from being 3-0.
The defense has been “bend but don’t break” giving up some sizable yards but only allowing foes to score touchdowns on 45.45% of their trips inside the red zone. That’s something we saw from Matt Patricia during his defensive coordinator days in New England. Offensively, the Lions’ attack is explosive and able to break big plays at crucial times. They could be the most balanced team in the entire NFC North, leading to solid futures value.
Jacksonville Jaguars +700 to win AFC South
Since Andrew Luck suddenly retired from football before Week 1, the AFC South has been wide open. The Colts have maintained their spot in the division and the Texans are hungry to take advantage of that power vacuum. And it looked like Jacksonville losing new QB Nick Foles was going to leave the AFC South to those other two teams. But that might not be the case.
Rookie quarterback Gardiner Minshew is taking the AFC South by storm, stepping up with Foles on the sideline, and giving life to the Jaguars’ clawless offense. Jacksonville’s defense is still among the best in the league, clamping down for just 20 total points the past two games. They’ll keep the Jags competitive in most matchups, leaving Minshew and the offense to do just enough.
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