Baseball season is barely more than a month old, but what does that matter when fresh over/unders have been released for the upcoming NFL season?
Thanks to Sportsbook.og, we have an early look at what Las Vegas believes will be the win totals for each NFL team.
I’ll take a look at each team this week and will continue today with the NFC East.
Dallas Cowboys: Over/under 9.5 (+105 over/-135 under)
Call me crazy, but I love this value. It’s a regular rite of passage for the betting public to overvalue national teams like the Cowboys, so oddsmakers already inflated the number to possibly attract some action on the under. I’m not falling for it. This offense is dynamic with Tony Romo as the quarterback. If Romo stays healthy for the entire season, this is an easy choice. The only problem is that Romo has been unable to stay on the field during his career, making it a bit of a risk. But I’m not stressing over it. We don’t know when injuries are going to happen, so I’m not making an assumption on the Cowboys. The running game will be powerful and with a healthy Dez Bryant back in the lineup, the passing game should also be one of the best in the league. The schedule also sets up nicely, with a NFC East that will be lower-rated, and non-divisional games against Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Detroit. There’s enough wins available for the Cowboys to reach 10. — Over
New York Giants: Over/under 8 (-140 over/+110 under)
Bettors are hammering the over and with good reason. The Giants have talent. It’s been there for the last few years. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery at the head coaching position to get the most out of that talent. Offensively, the Giants should be good once again and the defense will only get better from last season (it’s hard to get worse). The schedule isn’t bad either with non-divisional road games at Los Angeles and Cleveland, and home games against New Orleans, Baltimore, Detroit and Chicago. Mix in some victories against divisional opponents and there’s a strong argument to say the Giants will win more than seven games. If the number creeps up to 8.5, I’d think twice about the over. But at eight, it’s a must play. — Over
Philadelphia Eagles: Over/under 7.5 (+130 over/-160 under)
This number can’t possibly stay at this position. Since I have a bit of time, I’ll give my explanation for booking the under, but this hardly deserves more than one sentence. The Eagles couldn’t win last year with Chip Kelly as their coach because many people said he depleted the roster. And we assume without Kelly (I believe he can still coach, no matter what other NFL experts say), the Eagles are going to win more than seven games? That’s not happening, regardless of Sam Bradford’s decision to return. The offense and defense do little for me in terms of excitement, and with an improved Dallas and New York Giants team in the mix, expect the Eagles to compete more for the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft rather than a playoff spot in 2016. — Way under
Washington Redskins: over/under 7.5 (-115 over/-115 under)
This is a tricky one. On one hand, the Redskins made the playoffs a year ago behind strong play from Kirk Cousins. On the other hand, Cousins has yet to do anything against quality opponents. Oddsmakers and pretty much everyone else in the NFL expect Washington to take a step back. I concur with that assessment. But to blindly believe this team won’t win eight games is a mistake. The defense is still legitimate and despite doing better on offense last year, the running game was still a mess at times. If they can shore that up this season, then we should see a better offense for the Redskins. The schedule isn’t as good as Dallas’ and New York’s with road games against Cincinnati, Arizona, Baltimore and a home Monday Night opener against Pittsburgh, but I have a hunch the Redskins can get at least eight wins. I’m cautiously backing the over. — Over
