AFC Futures: Patriots AFC Favorite
Next season’s NFL Futures odds are available at Betonline. The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens are one of the favorites to represent the AFC in next year’s Super Bowl in New York. That is a bit odd considering they will no longer have Ray Lewis next season. Lewis was unquestionably the team leader and when he was out with an injury, the Ravens stumbled. Only thee AFC teams have lower odds than the Ravens +800. Those would be the Houston Texans at +400, Denver Broncos at +333 and The AFC favorite New England Patriots at +275. All of those teams had very solid season this year and will not anticipate any major losses to start next year.
If there is a team out of that group that appears to be on the rise it is the Texans. They are a team led by Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and J.J. Watt, all of who are young and still getting better. The won the AFC South this past year rather easily, but will have some competition next season from the Indianapolis Colts, who were extremely young this season but still made the playoffs. The Colts surprised everyone with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck as they went 11-5, which was one game better than the Ravens in the regular season. Odds on the Colts is +1900.
The Broncos had a great season this year before faltering in the playoffs against the Ravens. Peyton Manning led them to the top seed in the AFC at 13-3. But Manning will be another year older next year and one has to wonder if that means a decline in his production. The Broncos will have a tough time getting back to where they were this year.
New England also seems to be a team that is on the way down. It is hard to believe perhaps but the Pats have not won the Super Bowl now in the last seven. They did lose twice in that span, the last being two years ago. So they are capable of getting back there again. But Tom Brady is getting older now. One has to wonder is he is on the decline as well.
Of all of these favorites, we like the Colts at +1900 the best. After that, we like the Texans at +400. Here are some others we like:
Cincinnati Bengals – They have made the playoffs two straight seasons now. Andy Dalton and A J. Greene are now in year three together. The odds on them are +1600.
Pittsburgh Steelers- Really, would it shock anyone to see Pittsburgh in next year’s Super Bowl? With a healthy Ben Roethlisberger they could very well make it. Their odds are + 800.
