One of the things that makes the NFL so good is the parity from year to year.
Of course, there are teams like the Kansas City Chiefs that test that equality, but there are some interesting teams that could prevent the Chiefs’ three-peat.
But the one thing that can change the fortune of a franchise very quickly, is a good quarterback.
In 2023, it was C.J. Stroud with the Houston Texans, that has fans excited about how good Houston can be in 2024 after leading his team to a 10-7 record with 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns as a rookie. He could be a nice bet (+850 at the Draft Kings Sportsbook) if you are looking at the MVP award, and now has the Texans as one of the 2024 favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Who could be this year’s version of Stroud?
How about Jayden Daniels, who like Stroud, was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
If Daniels can do what Stroud did and take a team with low expectations to the playoffs, he could be a dark horse candidate that offers tremendous value at +15000.
How about if you want to bet on Washington to just make the playoffs this season? You can get some good value there at +260 with the bet365 NJ bonus.
How about No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams?
The Bears have some interesting weapons on offense with wide receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze and former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift.
The odds are pretty good for Chicago to make the playoffs, at -130 for yes and +100 for no, so betting on Williams and the Bears would be a sneaky pick for the Super Bowl with odds of +3000 with the betMGM NFL app.
The Bears went 7-10 last season, but with new weapons on offense, a new QB and a pretty good defense season they could be another team to keep an eye on in the long shot category.
Can one player make that much of a difference? He can if he is a good quarterback and Daniels and Williams could both be just what those two struggling franchises needed, just like Houston last season with Stroud.
If you like Washington as a sneaky play with Philadelphia winning the division, over at Draft Kings you can get Philly t win the division with Washington, Dallas, and New York in that order at +900. If you think it will be Dallas, Washington, Philly, New York, that play is +1400 at Draft Kings and other NJ sportsbooks and NFL betting apps.