- Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco are chalk picks to win their respective NFC divisions
- Kirk Cousins Vikings (+550) will play the Lions (-450) twice in the season’s final three weeks
- San Francisco (-500) is favored in the NFC West despite two straight losses to Cleveland and Minnesota
Three of the four NFC division leaders are chalk picks heading into week 8 and the other, the Atlanta Falcons, top the worst group of teams in the NFL. Will the 49ers, Eagles and Lions cruise to division titles or are there any longshot wagers worth taking with more than half the season left to play out?
Starting with the NFC South, we’ll examine the updated NFC division futures and make our picks to win each one. Before we dive in, here’s where you can find the best Super Bowl betting tips and the top betting sites for NFL football in 2023.
NFC South Futures
Falcons off to a flying start
Even with Arthur Smith actively seeking to destroy millions of fantasy football teams across the country, he still has Atlanta (+110) in first place in the NFC South. This is despite his sophomore quarterback turning the ball over six times in the past two weeks alone. Luckily for the Falcons, their division stinks.
New Orleans (+210) jettisoned a perfectly fine QB in Andy Dalton to replace him with Red Zone nightmare Derek Carr. Tampa Bay (+240) is starting Baker Mayfield, and the winless Carolina Panthers (+10000) traded away their future for the tiniest signal caller in league history. While we don’t love the +110 odds at the moment, we like the Falcons to ride a soft schedule to their first division title since 2016.
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: #Falcons star RB Bijan Robinson isn’t playing today because he’s “not feeling so well” per HC Arthur Smith.
Dealing with an illness. pic.twitter.com/RUr80Esio5
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 22, 2023
NFC East Futures
Philly still the class of the division
Philadelphia (-210) looked far from dominant despite a 5-0 start and then somehow lost to the Jets. But their 31-17 beatdown of Miami on Sunday night proved that the reigning NFC champions are still the class of the conference. With two games left on tap with the Eagles, Dallas (+160) is far from dead at 4-2.
However, a 42-10 defeat at the hands of San Francisco and a surprising early-season loss to the Cardinals make Mike McCarthy’s team hard to take seriously. Philly will become the first repeat NFC East champion since 2005.
NFC North Futures
Wide open race
Sitting at 5-2, Detroit (-450) is eyeing its first division title in three decades. While Dan Campbell’s club is coming off an embarrassing 38-6 loss to the Ravens in week 7, their next eight opponents all sit under .500. Interestingly enough, the Lions have two matchups against Minnesota (+550) in the final three weeks of the season.
Last year’s NFC North champions are two games back in the division after upsetting the 49ers 22-17 on Monday Night Football. Star receiver Justin Jefferson won’t be back for at least a few more weeks, but their upcoming schedule isn’t imposing and DC Brian Flores has done wonders for their defense. Given Detroit’s long history of football futility, a +550 longshot bet on the Vikings is advised.
LEGENDARY: #Vikings WR Justin Jefferson placed a MASSIVE GOLD CHAIN that says top-10 on his QB Kirk Cousins
🔥🔥🔥
(🎥ESPN) pic.twitter.com/7Oo1zKVKTL
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 24, 2023
NFC West Futures
Texans go worst to first
San Francisco (-500) is still heavily favored to win their second-consecutive division championship despite back-to-back losses to the Browns and Vikings. Kyle Shanahan’s team also has upcoming contests against the Bengals, Jaguars, Eagles and Ravens, as well as two games versus the NFC West rival Seahawks.
Pete Carroll has a 10-4 lifetime record against the Niners head coach and Seattle (+400) only sits one win back heading into week 8. With rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon adding some teeth to the defense, the Seahawks could make a run at their first division title in three seasons if the health of their offensive line improves.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
