The first couple of months of the NFL season have gone by in a flash. Now we have reached Week 8, things are starting to take shape – and there are plenty of eyebrow raisers as we scan the standings. Pre-season, it all seemed so clear. Buffalo were hot favorites for Super Bowl glory, Tampa Bay were favorites in the NFC, as long as Brady stayed fit, the Chiefs and Chargers were also strong contenders to at least make the Championship matches.
Sep 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs for a first down during the fourth quarter of a Week 1 NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports
While some of those predictions still hold water, especially where the AFC is concerned, others have been turned on their heads. So where does the smart money lie now if you are contemplating an outright bet or two?
Don’t rule out the Bucs just yet
Tampa Bay is dominating the headlines in the worst possible way as it lurches from one disaster to the next. But here’s the interesting thing – even if they lose again in Week 9 to the Rams and go 3-6, they will still be in with a realistic shot at the playoffs. That’s purely thanks to the paucity of wins in the AFC South in general, where the teams seem to be playing Hearts instead of football and competing for the lowest score.
Keep an eye on a site like https://www.legitgamblingsites.com/online-betting/nfl/, then monitor the Tampa Bay NFL outright odds. If they slip back to 25-1 to win the Superbowl, as they doubtless will if the Rams win next week, remember this is a team almost assured of making the playoffs and with the greatest ever quarterback at the helm. If that’s not worth five or 10 dollars at 25-1, then nothing is!
Back the Titans before anyone else notices
Over in the AFC, things are less frantic and going more according to script. The Chiefs and Bills are bossing the East and West, Baltimore and Cincinnati are jostling for position in the north, and everyone is ignoring the South. That’s tongue in cheek, but after a disastrous 0-2 start, Tennessee are on a four game winning streak, one that is odds-on to extend them to 5-2 assuming they can sweep past the Texans at the weekend.
Apparently, running backs are not cool anymore, but nobody got the memo in Tennessee and Derrick Henry is quietly rushing the equally unfashionable Titans into real contention. Incredibly they are still as long as 50-1 with some bookies to win the Super Bowl. Be quick, because people will start to notice sooner or later.
Jets are for real
Both New York teams have sprung surprises this season – New Yorkers were expecting little to cheer, yet the Giants have the second best record in the NFL, while the Jets are only a win behind the Bills. Incredibly, bookmakers are still offering positive odds on them making the playoffs, even after they brushed Green Bay aside last week. New Yorkers are starting to believe, so now is the time to back them before those odds get reined right in.
