The National Football League is made up of 32 teams who are divided into two separate conferences. One is labeled the NFC (National Football Conference) and the other is the AFC (American Football Conference). Inside each NFL conference is 16 teams and those teams are then divided into four separate divisions. That’s important to note as the two sides have their own playoffs and their own winner, and the two teams that survive meet in the Super Bowl. Divisional NFL Futures betting is a great way to try to make the entire season more fun, and profitable if you choose the winner. Understanding each team’s odds to win the NFC is the most important first step you can take on your sports betting journey, and we’re here to help.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at each division and each team’s odds to win the NFC in 2018.
Understanding The NFC Betting Odds
If you’re a seasoned bettor, you can skip ahead. If you’re new to betting, this is a quick rundown of how to read the betting lines.
When you see the team names on the board, you’ll also see odds right next to their name. What you want to notice is both the number and whether it has a positive or negative sign in front. Let’s look at this example.
2018 Odds To Win NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles -200
Dallas Cowboys +250
New York Giants +500
Washington Redskins +800
When you see the odds here, you see that the Eagles’ odds to win the NFC East are -200. The minus sign means that’s the amount you’d be to win $100. On the flip side, the Cowboys have a plus sign with odds of +250. That’s the amount you would win if you bet $100. The payout is greater with Dallas because they’re an underdog whereas the Eagles are expected to win.
You don’t have to bet in $100 increments but this gives you a clear idea of what you’ll get paid out to bet on each side.
Odds To Win The NFC Divisions In 2018
Odds to with the NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles -145
Dallas Cowboys +290
New York Giants +500
Washington Redskins +615
Odds To Win NFC North
Minnesota Vikings +105
Green Bay Packers +120
Detroit Lions +635
Chicago Bears +1170
2018 Odds To Win NFC South
Atlanta Falcons +170
New Orleans Saints +185
Carolina Panthers +275
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +500
2018 Odds To Win NFC West
Los Angeles Rams -125
San Francisco 49ers +200
Seattle Seahawks +380
Arizona Cardinals +1500
Odds To Win The NFC Conference
Strategy for Betting NFC Futures
Futures are a type of NFL bet that are decided at some point off in the future. While many bets like moneylines and spreads are game-to-game, futures are decided based on month-long or season-long performances. That includes a lot of the odds we’ve been talking about, such as the odds to win a division or odds to win the conference.
If you’re planning to bet futures, here are three things you have to keep in mind:
How Did The Team Finish? – This is a critical point for NFL handicappers as you want to get an idea of which direction the team is heading. A team like the San Francisco 49ers was young in 2017, struggled early but won their final five games. That shows that they could be on the rise. As for a team like the Seahawks, they lost three of their final four games and had a shaky offseason. Their outlook for 2018 does not look as strong.
What Happened In The Offseason? – A lot can change in an NFL offseason. Just take a look at the Rams, who won 11 games and then added four Pro Bowl caliber players like Suh, Talib, Peters and Cooks. At the same time, a team like the Cardinals changed their head coach, starting quarterback and lost a couple of key pieces from their defense. You have to keep a close eye on free agency and the NFL Draft to see what’s happening with each team’s roster. Then that gives you an idea of how talented they’ll be in the coming year.
What’s Their Strength Of Schedule? – After the NFL schedule is released, it’s easy to crunch the numbers and figure out who’ll play a difficult schedule in 2018 and who’ll have an easier time of things. For example, the Arizona Cardinals get to play the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos in 2018 whereas the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to play the Falcons, Panthers and Saints – teams that all won 10 or more games last season – a total of six times. That’s a huge difference. If you examine the team’s strength of schedule, you’ll be able to determine who might have an easier path to win the division and who might be best to avoid for betting purposes.