by ASA, Inc.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025Favorite - Philadelphia Eagles (+750)
The reigning league champions rolled through the playoffs last season en route to a blowout win in Super Bowl LVIII over the former back to back Kansas City Chiefs. Even after that dominant display, the Eagles still are not unanimous favorites to repeat in the 2025 season. Depending where you look, the Ravens, Bills, and even Chiefs are favored over the Eagles. Only eight teams have ever repeated as Super Bowl champs, but Philly returns their entire core, guiding arguably the best offensive and defensive fronts in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have the number one ranked O-line and number two ranked D-line entering 2025. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and AJ Brown make up an unfair combination of skill players behind that top ranked line. They proved that games are won in the trenches, and until we see otherwise, it's hard to justify an investment on another elite team with similar odds. The cherry on top is the lack of competition in NFC. The Lions lost both OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, while the 49ers and Packers are already riddled with injuries to their WR rooms, posing issues for the next three best odds of any NFC team.
Sleeper - Denver Broncos (+2500)
Denver outperformed expectations in 2025, making a surprise appearance in the playoffs, even though they got clobbered by the Bills. Sean Payton seems to have found his groove once again, building up the roster for his preferred brand of football after posting a 8-9 record in 2023. The Broncos seem to be gaining hype this offseason so their value could drop a bit before kickoff on 9/4, yet they currently still have longer odds than teams like the Rams, Vikings, Texans, and Bengals. Right guard and DIII UW-Whitwater product Quinn Meinerz highlights the second ranked O-line in the NFL (per PFF). Bo Nix quietly had a highly efficient rookie season when many doubted he could even be a capable NFL starter. He posted 33 total touchdowns and only 12 interceptions in his rookie season, with additional improvement from Nix making Denver very dangerous. Furthermore, Pat Surtain II and edge rusher Nick Bonitto will look to lead an already elite defense that finished third in points allowed in 2024.
Longshot - Jacksonville Jaguars (+7000)
If Trevor Lawrence is ever going to take the next step and prove why he was the number one pick in the 2021 draft, it needs to be this year. So far he has been the definition of mediocre, but in his defense, he has not had much help around him while also dealing with injuries. Additions of offensive guru Liam Coen as head coach and number two overall pick Travis Hunter should provide much needed weaponry for the Jags previously 26th ranked scoring offense. Brian Thomas and Hunter could make up the best WR duo in the league, allowing Coen’s air raid style of offense to flourish. Another positive is that the AFC South is likely the worst division in football with every other team having glaring issues. The Texans have the projected worst o-line in football again, the Colts are starting Daniel Jones at quarterback, and the Titans are fresh off the number draft pick for a reason. Not many teams with longshot odds have the realistic shot to win their division while also having the offensive firepower to hang with the heavyweights in the AFC.
