Make a Play on the Most Stacked Team in Football
Best Bets
2 Pts Arizona Cardinals to Win Super Bowl LI (12/1 General)
2 Pts Oakland Raiders to Win AFC West (10/3 Paddy Power)
3 Pts Green Bay Packers to Win NFC North (8/11 Betfair)
2 Pts Houston Texans to Win AFC South (5/2 Sky Bet)
0.5 Pts EW (1-2) Houston Texans to Win Super Bowl LI (40/1 Coral)
In this preview we aren’t going to go through every team and breakdown how we think they will do this year. The write up will simply give our followers a heads up as to why we like the above tips so much. After doing some research it’s apparent that there’s strong value out there currently with regards to the NFL, so we thought we would take a slight risk and get our season long tips out now.
2.5 Pts Arizona Cardinals to Win Super Bowl LI (12/1 General)
The NFC is absolutely packed with talented teams this year but when you look at the rosters of these teams none can boast an all-round package like the Cardinals. There really isn’t an area of weakness, and as we speak they have just tied up versatile safety Tyrann Mathieu to a bumper contract. The Honey Badger has had his problems in the past, but this seems to be behind him now and look for him to have a standout year coming back from injury. The Cardinals drafted well and have added impetus to their pass rush. It really wouldn’t be a shock to see them come out with the leagues number one offence again this year. The key factor here is the play of Carson Palmer and whether he can continue his regular season consistency and then translate this into playoff excellence. We clearly think he can, and we really like the most stacked team in football, who look fantastic in every department.
2 Pts Oakland Raiders to Win AFC West (10/3 Paddy Power)
The AFC West is there for the taking this year as the Broncos quarterback saga continues into the pre-season. The Raiders have a very kind first half to the season which could give them a very good start. This should inspire confidence and galvanise their young talent going into the latter part of the season. Khalil Mack is an absolute weapon and right up there with the very elite players in the NFL and his supporting cast aren’t too shabby either. Wideout Amari Cooper should continue to progress and will be the primary target on offence this year. We think it will be close, but we do think the Raiders should be favourites to clinch the AFC West this year; therefore 10/3 is a very attractive price.
3 Pts Green Bay Packers to Win NFC North (8/11 Betfair)
This one isn’t the most ambitious of tips but nonetheless the 8/11 on offer looks decent value on a team that will be looking to bounce back strong. We believe that in the NFC, Green Bay offer the biggest threat to our outright Cardinals prediction. There are a few reasons why the Packers will be much stronger this year than they were in the last season. Firstly Eddie Lacy has dropped over a stone and got himself back in shape. This was essential for the Packers running game as his condition in the last season was almost a joke. Jordy Nelson returns to the field after tearing his ACL and will once again become Rogers’s key target. Finally with the addition of Blake Martinez, Clay Matthews can return to his favoured outside linebacker position where he can wreak havoc. Look for the Packers to go close this year and comfortably pick up NFC North.
2 Pts Houston Texans to Win AFC South (5/2 Sky Bet)
0.5 Pts EW (1-2) Houston Texans to Win Super Bowl LI (40/1 Coral)
Before we get onto the element of this bet that might shock a few let’s talk about the AFC South. Simply put, it’s not very good and people are inflating the chances of the Colts based on the ability of Luck. The Texans proved last year on route to the playoffs that their stifling defence can win big matches. Nothing has changed here and reports of a struggling JJ Watt don’t concern us after he came out and stated he will be ready for somewhere near the start of the regular season. The addition of Osweiler at Quarterback is a great bit of business and we were massively impressed with what he was able to do at Denver last year. Ignoring the ridiculous talent of Antonio Brown, wideout DeAndre Hopkins has a case to say he is the best receiver in the NFL. This all adds up to another standout defensive year for the Texans and an improved offensive one. This should lead them to the AFC South title and a passage into the post-season.
Now onto our controversial part of the tip. We think 40/1 is amazing value for Houston to win the Super Bowl. In the AFC they will have to overcome the Patriots or the Steelers at some point in the post-season. We believe they can do this with the best pass rush in the NFL. Tom Brady is ageing and can’t take hits like he used to and it’s only sensible to expect a drop off in his form this year. Roethlisberger continues to find himself injured after taking heavy hits in the pocket. In the mould of Denver last year we think the Texans could cause significant problems for the ‘star’ teams in the NFL. If they get to the showpiece game they will be playing in Houston, which will effectively give them a home championship game! We believe that 40/1 is worth a small punt on the Texans to upset the odds this year.