As the summer heat begins to wane and the anticipation in the air intensifies, football aficionados worldwide gear up for the exhilarating spectacle that is the National Football League (NFL) season.
Yet, this year's excitement stretches beyond the confines of the gridiron – the 2023/2024 NFL season promises to be a treasure trove for sports betting enthusiasts. With a multitude of futures betting markets on offer, ranging from the AFC and NFC championships to the Super Bowl, MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year awards, the landscape is ripe for strategic betting opportunities.
One of the benefits of having $200M in tracked bets(!) on Pikkit is that we can see where the weight of sports betting action is going. This tells you the expectations of bettors, and is often a good indication of expected performance.
The Championship expectations focus on the usual suspects in both conferences. However, there are some new teams attracting action.
In the AFC, the defending champs are the betting favorites at +350. And at those odds, have only attracted 14% of bets and total betting volume. Meanwhile, the Bills (+500) and Bengals (+550) are on top with 21% and 20%+ of the volume respectively.
The Ravens (+1100) are next with 10% and then it gets interesting.
Aaron and the Jets (+1100) have attracted 7.4% of the total money. While Trevor and the Jags (+1600) are getting 6.9% of the bets and look the best longshot.
In the NFC, it's all Eagles. Nearly 30% of the collective betting and odds of only +330.
The Lions are the clear second choice with bettors, and look in for a big season. They've had 16% of the money and you can still get +1100.
San Francisco is cold at +400, and so are Dallas (+650). Bettors prefer the Vikings and Seahawks. That Minnesota money looks popular with Aaron Rodgers leaving the division.
The Super Bowl betting is a lot more concentrated, with bettors focusing on the four franchises:
Big expectations on Josh Allen to start the season. However, he's strangely absent from MVP action.
Allen can't even crack the top seven with betting volume, even though he's the third pick with sportsbooks.
There has been a wave of betting for Jalen Hurts at odds. He's still +1200 and would be the worst result for most books at this early stage. Joe Cool's odds are even shorter than Allen, at +750, and that hasn't slowed down the action.
Travis Kelce and Aaron Donald are the firs non-quarterbacks to attract any action.
Micah Parsons is the clear betting favorite at +450 and bettors have steamed into the Cowboys' linebacker.
TJ and Bosa are on the board too, as previous winners that could have another big year.
Jalen Carter is also an incredible choice from bettors. An overwhelming pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year (58.5%), bettors are backing him at 50-1 for the NFL award too.
The Eagles are the most popular team with bettors. They're expecting further growth from Jalen Hurts, backing him hard for the MVP. Plus the roster will only improve on last year with Jalen Carter joining the franchise.
The Lions are the second most popular pick in the NFC at big odds. Minnesota is interesting too.
Meanwhile, you can throw a blanket over Buffalo, Cincinnati and Kansas City in the AFC.
It's going to be a hell of a season.
Good luck with your betting and don't forget to join Pikkit for the weight of money on every game this season.
