By Joseph Falchetti
The NFL season isn’t far away. We’re just a few weeks until the first preseason game on August 2, and after that, it’s just over a month until Week 1. In this article, we’ll focus on some of the offseason moves that will make the biggest impact this coming season. Some of these franchises have improved their Super Bowl odds, while others are just trying to become respectable.
Cleveland Browns – Traded for QB Tyrod Taylor and WR Jarvis Landry
Underrated by those aware of the talent on their roster – the Browns finally got a capable quarterback in Tyrod Taylor in a trade with the Bills and a possession-first receiver in Jarvis Landry. The DeShone Kizer experiment did not work out in Cleveland. He was sent off to the Packers to backup Aaron Rodgers. Though, I do think some of this was Hue Jackson’s fault. His offense was a bit too complicated for a young quarterback.
With Jackson still in place, it’s tough to have too much faith in the Browns, but the addition of Taylor gives them an experienced NFL starter. He will have a better offensive line and weapons than he did in Buffalo and a much more talented offense with Josh Gordon and Landry.
The Browns also don’t have a bad defensive line. They’re a bit weak in the secondary, but this team has plenty of solid pieces. Their team win total has risen from 4.5 to 5.5 at SportsBetting.ag and there is -130 vigorish on the over. I don’t think Cleveland is a wise Super Bowl bet at 66/1 but they are an interesting bet on the over wins 5.5 and at +1000 to win the AFC North. The Browns should have won a lot more games last year. Yes, I know they went winless last season, but I would not be shocked to see this team win 7-9 games in 2018.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Signed Guard Andrew Norwell
Some people forget that the Jaguars were on the cusp of making the Super Bowl last year, but blew a late losing second half lead to the New England Patriots. Still, Blake Bortles had a chance on the final drive to score a touchdown and win the game, but instead he turned the ball over on downs.
The Jaguars are a team with few weaknesses. They easily have the best defense in the league. Their offensive line, after signing Andrew Norwell, to the largest free agent contract for any guard in history, makes their line even better. Norwell had been a top-rated guard by Pro Football Focus in his four years with the Panthers.
They have an elite running game. They signed Donte Moncrief to boost their receiver corps and Bortles seemed to improve as the season continued. Quite simply, the Jaguars aren’t getting the respect they deserve at 20/1 at SportsBetting.ag to win the Super Bowl. That’s a $2,000 payout for $100 bet for a team that was leading the Patriots at halftime of the AFC Championship game and has IMPROVED this offseason. One could argue they should be the favorite to come out of the AFC. If Bortles finally takes the next step to becoming even an above-average quarterback – this team, simply, has no weaknesses.
Minnesota Vikings – Signing Kirk Cousins
The Vikings were the odds-on favorite to make it to the Super Bowl last year but were held back by inconsistent quarterback play from Case Keenum. Their defense also fell short late in a blowout loss to the Eagles in the AFC title game.
However, after signing Kirk Cousins, they have finally gotten the championship level quarterback needed to take them to the next level. Minnesota has debated, the best 1-2 wide receiver punch, in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. With upgrades to their defense, minimal losses on offense, and Cousins in Minnesota – this team is ready to compete for the NFC title. The Vikings are 10/1 to win the Super Bowl at SportsBetting.ag, a price I like for their upgrades and talent. To learn more about football betting we recommend visiting NFL Betting Guide.
Joseph Falchetti is the author of the blog, most picks, and the majority of content on Safest Betting Sites. Joe has an extensive background as a writer and gambler of all types. He was a professional poker player and sports bettor for eight years until he decided to make the switch to writing gambling content after the Black Friday seizures against PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.