The NFL returns this week, with the reigning Super Bowl Champions the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.
In what is sure to be an exhilarating season, with plenty of storylines to follow and players to emerge into dominant forces, our NFL betting expert guides you through the best bets for the upcoming season.
Who wins it all?
After last years thrilling Super Bowl in which defence seemingly went out of the window, both the Eagles and the Patriots are the two favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.
It is always hard to overlook the Patriots with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in the driving seats, however their could be a changing of the guard this season as a new superpower rises in the west.
The Los Angeles Rams had an excellent season last year, and after some shrewd offseason moves, are poised to build off that platform and challenge for the title.
The Rams haven’t been this exciting since the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ years, and with a mean defence to back up their high-powered offense, could be a real contender to win the Super Bowl and can be backed at 11/1.
For fans of an outsider sneaking into the playoffs and bringing home the silverware, the Kansas City Chiefs could be an underdog contender. Despite fielding an electric offense, now under control of Patrick Mahomes, and a hard-nosed defence, this team is not getting as much attention as I feel it deserves.
With home-run threats Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill sure to be getting the ball often this season, there is a real chance this team outscores whoever they face. With a big home advantage from the crowd at Arrowhead, the Chiefs are an excellent 28/1 with grosvenorsport.com
Most Valuable Quarterback?
The MVP award in the NFL has gone to a quarterback for 4 of the last 5 years, and 9 of the last 10, so one could assume that this award is in fact just the best Quarterback. However, this year I can see the trend being bucked, and the NFL having it’s first defensive MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986.
Aaron Donald is an absolute force of nature for the Los Angeles Rams, and if they have a successful season, he will be a huge part of it. Granted, it is extremely difficult for a defensive player to be named MVP, but Donald is that good and disrupts games that much.
He is available at 80/1 to win MVP. However, if the award sticks with the safe formula of giving it to the best QB, then Aaron Rodgers should have an excellent shot at 6/1
DPOY
JJ Watt is probably the most adept player in the NFL at imposing his will on games with ease. He was the first player in NFL history to record two 20+ sack seasons in a career, has defended 45 passes over the course of his career, numbers that are comparable for a defensive back, and occasionally scores touchdowns when he plays on offense.
Unfortunately for Watt and the Houston Texans, he has been unable to stay on the field for the last two seasons.
This year I think we will see the Watt of old, and he will compete with Aaron Donald for both NFL MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. If Watt can stay on the field and perform how the entire league knows he can, then he is a shoe-in to win Defensive Player of the Year at 6/1.
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