The NFL season offers a seemingly unlimited amount of betting opportunities. Halfway through the season, do we feel like we know more about where things are headed? Are there still long shots worth a sprinkle?
Here are bets for each team as we head into the second half. Some picks look at the big picture, such as Super Bowl futures, playoffs or win totals. Others zoom in on specific players, highlighting MVP and other award chances.
Matt Bowen, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza, Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody, Ben Solak and Seth Walder offer their picks.
All odds current as of publication time and courtesy of ESPN BET.
Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI
CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU
IND | JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA
MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT
SEA | SF | TB | TEN | WAS
Arizona Cardinals
Solak: This feels like a good sell-high spot for a team coming off of a nationally-televised win. The Cardinals should be better with Jacoby Brissett under center than they were with Kyler Murray, but the upcoming stretch of games is brutal. By FPI's numbers, the Cardinals have had the fifth-easiest schedule to start the season but now must endure the third-toughest remaining schedule. While Brissett is a nice shot in the arm, he was a backup for a reason. I'm not sure how much longer that new QB boost will last.
Atlanta Falcons
Solak: I smell desperation in Atlanta, as the Falcons have lost three straight after their emphatic win over the Bills that put them at 3-2. It might be prudent to wait a week and buy a better number after the upcoming game against the Colts, but Indianapolis is gettable, and the Falcons have the sort of speedy pass rush that the Steelers used to give Daniel Jones fits. I could see the Falcons totally imploding down the stretch, or I could see them rallying hard around Raheem Morris. I'll take the plus-money option here.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson to win MVP (30-1)
Solak: The 3-5 Ravens are -170 to make the playoffs and favored at -140 to win their division. In what worlds could they possibly achieve those playoff dreams without Jackson thrusting himself into the center of the MVP race. Of course, Jackson returned to action in a Week 9 win and looked like Lamar Jackson (four TD passes), and nobody will hold his injury time away against him if he, say, wins the next six games in a row. The opponents: Vikings, Browns, Jets, Bengals, Steelers and Bengals again. Baltimore should be favored in all six.
Buffalo Bills
Maldonado: Buffalo is sitting at 6-2, and the record looks clean, but the market is still pricing the Bills like a 13-win team. Buffalo won 13 games last season with a +24 turnover margin, the highest in the league since 2000. That kind of luck rarely repeats, and we are already seeing normalization. The Bills have four interceptions forced through eight games after finishing with 16 last season. That matters. Health-wise, the attrition has begun on defense with multiple front-seven pieces missing time, and the schedule stiffens. From Week 10-18, the Bills have five games with a rest disadvantage, including games against the Dolphins, Bengals, Patriots and Eagles, plus back-to-back road trips to Houston and Pittsburgh. I will take under 12.5.
Carolina Panthers
Moody: The Panthers are emerging as one of the NFC's surprise contenders. Their upset of the Packers lifted them to 5-4, their best midseason mark since 2019. Behind Rico Dowdle's 735 rushing yards and a defense that just held Green Bay to 13 points, Dave Canales' team is finding its identity through toughness and balance. With Bryce Young back under center, a 3-1 home record, and a winnable matchup against the Saints ahead, Carolina suddenly looks capable of ending its seven-year playoff drought.
Chicago Bears
Moody: The Bears look like legitimate NFC playoff contenders following their dramatic Week 9 win over the Bengals, which moved them to 5-3 and put them just behind the Lions (tiebreaker edge) for the final NFC playoff spot. Chicago's offense has come alive under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears now face pivotal matchups against the Eagles, Packers, 49ers and Lions, all current playoff teams, and wins in those games would not only boost their record, but directly reshape the NFC playoff race in their favor.
Cincinnati Bengals
Solak: The Bengals became the first team since the 1960's to lose consecutive games in which they scored 38 or more points. Smells like a great buy-low opportunity to me. The Bengals should be able to play most games into a coinflip, given how explosive their passing game is when they trail. They appear to have a tougher upcoming schedule than they really do -- they face the Steelers, Patriots, Ravens, Bills and Ravens again over the next five games, but they end the year against the Dolphins, Browns and Cardinals. At plus money, I like their ability to find four wins with a team that's clearly still clinging to some sense of AFC contention.
Cleveland Browns
Carson Schwesinger to win Defensive Rookie of the Year (25-1)
Solak: Schwesinger was +500 to win this award before the Week 8 game against the Patriots in which he snagged a pick (nice) and also left the game with an ankle injury (not as nice). But the outlook seems fairly rosy -- head coach Kevin Stefanski said he doesn't expect Schwesinger to go on injured reserve. The field for Defensive Rookie of the Year otherwise is extremely weak, so if Schwesinger only misses two games and keeps producing when he returns, his odds will shoot right back up.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott to win Comeback Player of the Year (+115)
Karabell: Prescott is the slight favorite here in a crowded field with no clear leader. That field includes Christian McCaffrey, Aidan Hutchinson and Daniel Jones, but people will take notice if Prescott leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns, which is a possibility. The Cowboys might not make the playoffs, but few will be able to blame the QB.
Denver Broncos
Nik Bonitto to win Defensive Player of the Year (+850)
Bowen: I'd take a bet here on Bonitto. An electric mover off the line with the flexibility to sink and slither around offensive tackles, Bonitto ranks fourth in the league with eight sacks, and he has a top-10 pass-rush win rate. With a strong second half and more splash plays, Bonitto can claim the sack title -- on a postseason team. That gets you in the mix for DPOY.
Check out the latest odds and lines for Week 10 on ESPN BET.
Detroit Lions
Bowen: Detroit sits at 5-3, in second place in the division behind the 5-2-1 Packers. But I still see the Lions as the best team in the division. They are averaging 28.8 points per game (third most in the league). It's an explosive and balanced offense, while the defense features impact players at multiple levels. Rush the passer. Take the ball away. And I'm all-in on the aggressive coaching of Dan Campbell. This feels like a smart bet -- with plus money.
Green Bay Packers
Maldonado: Green Bay's offensive efficiency, defensive depth and quarterback stability support a projection of 11-6 or better. Jordan Love ranks top 10 in QBR and yards per attempt, while the Packers are top five in third-down success and sack differential. The defense's pressure pairing of Rashan Gary and Micah Parsons has elevated a unit allowing just 20.8 points per game, with positive yardage and possession splits reinforcing sustainability. The remaining schedule features five favorable matchups, and the Packers' balanced attack limits volatility. Even with mild regression in one-score games, Green Bay's profile projects above market expectation. True fair price is closer to -145, so -120 is snagging some value.
Houston Texans
Maldonado: Houston is 3-5, so the record doesn't jump off the page, but the Texans profile as a team ready to surge. They opened with one of the toughest schedules in the AFC and still sit with a positive point differential (+47). The defense allows the fewest points per game (15.1), the fewest yards per game (267.4), and is fourth in interceptions and total takeaways through nine weeks. C.J. Stroud is still producing despite playing behind a line that has not been healthy. The schedule softens, and Houston still has four division games ahead. Needing a 5-4 finish, I like over 7.5.
Indianapolis Colts
Karabell: Week 9 was a disappointment, but otherwise MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, potential Comeback Player of the Year Daniel Jones and a solid defense remain top contenders in the AFC. They aren't the Chiefs or Bills, but they are pretty good, and the defense added excellent CB Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline. Why the Colts? Hey, this is all legit! Why not the Colts?
Jacksonville Jaguars
Karabell: It seems unlikely that the Jaguars, having been outscored through eight games, losing rookie Travis Hunter to injury and participating in the same division as the surprising Colts, are Super Bowl contenders, but this team finds ways to win, and it added WR Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline. The schedule still features two games with the Titans and one with the Jets. This is a playoff team.
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes to win MVP (+425)
Walder: Every MVP from 2016 to 2024 finished the season in the top four of QBR, and there's no player I'm more confident will finish there (without missing time) this year than Mahomes. He currently sits in fourth in the metric, while Josh Allen, the favorite for this award at +175, is all the way back in 11th. Allen might lead the Bills to the No. 1 seed in the AFC (they are the favorites, per FPI, albeit at just a 31% chance), but voters will see the efficiency drop-off that he has displayed this season. There are a number of candidates I think are good bets right now, with Allen overvalued, but none more so than Mahomes.
Las Vegas Raiders
Loza: Had Geno Smith pulled off a winning 2-point conversion in overtime versus Jacksonville in Week 9, odds on the over would be in play. However, when reviewing the Raiders' schedule, five total wins appears to be an insurmountable climb. Maybe Vegas knocks off Dallas? Or stands firm versus Cleveland? But there aren't any clear soft spots. Additionally, sending Jakobi Meyers for draft picks seems to indicate a plan for the future rather than the immediate season.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert to win MVP (20-1)
Solak: There's a lot of understandable hype in the MVP market for Drake Maye (+400), the ascendant quarterback of an upstart Patriots team that could get the top seed in the AFC playoffs. But nothing is ever certain in the NFL, and if something happens in New England that reopens the AFC playoff race, who could benefit? How about the Chargers and Justin Herbert? Herbert has more dropbacks than any other quarterback in football and has endured terrible pass protection, but Joe Alt is back in the lineup, and things might get easier down the stretch.
Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua to win Offensive Player of the Year (+750)
Walder: Receiver production, compared to running back production, is much more tethered to a player's skill compared to the surrounding circumstance. So while Jonathan Taylor is a great running back, he is awfully dependent on those around him -- the offensive line, Daniel Jones and even the defense to keep holding leads -- to keep up his torrid pace of production. But Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are more self-reliant (beyond their respective quarterbacks) and are producing at extremely impressive levels that maybe the odds might not be quite appreciating. Nacua has an absolutely massive 37% target rate and 3.6 yards per route run -- both second only to, you guessed it, Smith-Njigba. To put that in context: 3.6 yards per route run would be the third-best season in that category (min. 300 routes) since 2007, behind only Tyreek Hill in 2023 and Steve Smith in 2008. I actually like Smith-Njigba more, but because I feel Taylor is overpriced, I think both receivers can be values.
Miami Dolphins
Solak: FPI projects the Dolphins to win 5.5 games by the end of the season, and given their relatively quiet trade deadline, I'm inclined to agree. In keeping key players like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jaylen Waddle and De'von Achane, the Dolphins still have enough firepower to hang with average teams and beat bad teams. Miami is projected for the 10th-easiest remaining schedule and only needs to wrest three wins out of a remaining schedule that includes home games against the Commanders, Saints and Bengals -- and a rematch with the Jets in New York.
Minnesota Vikings
Loza: J.J. McCarthy returned from a five-game hiatus in scrappy fashion, topping the division rival Lions and earning Minnesota its fourth win of the season. Back to health, installed in a competitive scheme and surrounded by high-end talent, the second-year quarterback appears capable of leading this team to a blistering finish. Bolstered by Brian Flores' competent defense and with gettable matchups facing Chicago, Washington, Dallas and the Giants, the Vikings should collect four more wins by the close of the regular season.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye to win MVP (+400)
Moody: Maye's MVP case has gained serious momentum. The second-year QB has the Patriots off to a 7-2 start, buoyed by six straight wins. Maye joined elite company by posting eight consecutive games with at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating over 100. That streak has only been matched by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers, each of whom won MVP the same year. Maye ranks in the top 10 in passing yards with 2,285 and touchdowns with 17 and has added 270 rushing yards and two scores. With Mike Vrabel transforming New England, now is the time to grab Maye's MVP ticket.
New Orleans Saints
Maldonado: New Orleans is 1-8, and the on-field product mirrors the preseason concerns. And now turning to Tyler Shough, that tells you where this offense stands. Through his first real action, Shough was 32-of-56 passing for 304 yards but averaged only 5.4 yards per attempt and threw two interceptions. The Saints average 15 points per game and rank bottom five in yards per play, with only nine passing touchdowns across nine games. The running game is bottom three in yards per carry, and there is no explosive threat. The Saints still face the Buccaneers, Falcons and Dolphins, but those are on the road. Under 3.5 at +125 might not be pretty, but it is live.
New York Giants
Karabell: QB Jaxson Dart still might win top offensive rookie honors -- he is the favorite at -130, so it is tough to make money with the odds -- but it will be difficult to win many football games without his best RB and WR. The Giants might be favored in only one or two more games, making it hard to see how they will go from two wins to five in the final months.
New York Jets
Karabell: The Jets made it clear on trade deadline day that they are well aware this is not a playoff team, dealing several top defensive players. Who's the QB? Does it matter? Poor Breece Hall. The Jets won't go winless, but it could be tough for them to double their current win total of one.
Philadelphia Eagles
Karabell: The NFC lines changed when the Packers lost at home to the Panthers, but the Eagles still have the NFC's deepest roster, are loaded with offensive stars and added to the defensive lineup at the trade deadline. They should be the NFC's top seed again and will be hard to beat at home in January.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bowen: The Steelers need to go 5-4 over the second half of the season to hit the over, and I see winnable games on the remaining schedule versus the Bengals, Bears, Dolphins and Browns. Pittsburgh also has the Chargers, Bills, Lions and two with the Ravens. Tougher matchups there, but we are talking about stealing one game. And if the Steelers can rush the passer like they did in the Week 9 win over the Colts, this bet will cash.
San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey to win Offensive Player of the Year (+600)
Bowen: The league's premier dual-threat back, McCaffrey leads the NFL with 135.8 scrimmage yards per game. While McCaffrey (eight touchdowns on the season) will need a boost in scoring production to join the OPOY discussion along with the Colts' Jonathan Taylor, he is averaging over 25 touches per game. He'll have opportunities in one of the league's most heavily schemed offenses.
Seattle Seahawks
Solak: The Rams were a substantial favorite going into Week 8 when the Seahawks were +200, but they are now just +140, so there isn't as much value. Seattle and Los Angeles, both 6-2, have roughly equal strength of schedules remaining, but the Seahawks have dealt with more injuries in the early season and are likely still underrated by team power models. You can always keep this ticket in your pocket and try to arbitrage it with Rams bets when the teams face off in Week 11 and 16.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Emeka Egbuka to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+175)
Karabell: The payout isn't great, but if Giants QB Jaxson Dart struggles a bit or stops rushing for touchdowns, Egbuka can win this award. The player out of Ohio State is on pace for more than 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns, and the Buccaneers are winning their division despite dealing with big injuries to RB Bucky Irving and WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Egbuka has been terrific.
Tennessee Tians
Maldonado: Tennessee averages just 14.4 points and 244 yards per game with a 28.5% third-down conversion rate, all worst in the league. Cam Ward has been sacked 38 times and thrown only five touchdown passes, and the defense allows 28.6 points per game and ranks bottom five in yards per play. In the back half of the season, Tennessee won't be favored in any game, facing six top-12 defenses and having zero rest advantages. The roster is too young, the trenches too weak and the passing game too inefficient to generate two more wins.
Washington Commanders
Karabell: The play here might have been to take the Commanders under the win total before QB Jayden Daniels suffered his serious elbow injury Sunday night. Now the play is to bet in the other direction because backup Marcus Mariota is competent, as are the wide receivers and coaching staff and, finally, there are games remaining against the Dolphins, Giants and Cowboys -- not exactly contenders. In addition, that Week 18 game against the Eagles might not matter to the NFC East champs. We shall see. Regardless, Mariota is certainly capable of winning a game or, in this case, three.
