NFL Week 14 Recap: What bettors need for the rest of the 2022 NFL season

Several more upsets took center stage in Week 14, with the Jaguars upsetting the Titans and the Lions crushing the fading Vikings. The Cardinals are all but done, the Ravens proved they can win without Lamar Jackson and Mr. Irrelevant is, well, relevant for 49ers fans and bettors. But this week is really the last week to get any value on NFL futures and I’ll look at some of those opportunities below.

Backups get it done

I completely wrote off the Baltimore Ravens last week after the biggest part of their offense and identity of the team, Lamar Jackson, went down with injury. Lo and behold, the Ravens found a way to win last week. It was not the dazzling play of backup QB Tyler Huntley, but the run game, defense and special teams. Unfortunately, Huntely also went down, the Ravens turned to an undrafted rookie, Anthony Brown, and still won. The Ravens have a soft schedule until the Bengals in Week 18, but they are 2.5 point underdogs this week in Cleveland. Huntley is in the concussion protocol, so hold any potential wagers on this game until his status is determined.

Suddenly everyone loves the San Francisco 49ers. They are on QB3 at this point, yet they are still crushing teams. They are favored on the road this Thursday at Seattle and are 6.5 point favorites in the look ahead line at FanDuel for Week 16. But, they just lost Deebo Samuel for a least a couple of games, defensive back Dontae Johnson for the season, cornerback Samuel Womack III in concussion protocol and even Brock Purdy nursing injuries. It’s really all about the D and Christian McCaffery for at least a week or two. Under 43.5 and McCaffery over 78.5 yards look like a solid way to go on TNF.

NFL Future Betting

With just four games to go for each team, this is the final week to really find any value on betting who will win Super Bowl 57. The top teams will only see their odds shrink as Feb 12th draws closer, and odds are shortening on some teams that “have a shot”, but aren’t the top contenders. Still, anything can happen in the NFL playoffs and looking at the futures board now is the best way to maximize SBLVII profits.

Speaking of the 49ers, they have dropped significantly on the NFL Super Bowl futures betting board. Despite losing their top two QBs this season, San Francisco is in a solid spot for a run at SBLVII. At the start of the 2022 NFL season, the Niners were the 5th choice to hoist the Lombardi trophy, then dropped after Trey Lance went down, rose when Jimmy G played well, dropped when he went down and now the Niners are the 4th choice on the futures board at +900 at FanDuel. Off of six straight wins, a win on TNF vs the Seahawks this week will see them drop to closer to 5-1.

Even with the best record in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles are the 2nd choice to win it all. The Birds are as high as +450 and still sit behind the Buffalo Bills on the odds board at all of the top online sportsbooks. With a clear path towards getting a bye, as Minnesota (20-1) fades, the odds on the Eagles after the Wild Card round of the playoffs will be in the +250 ballpark. If you like Philly to win SBLVII, bet them now!

In addition to San Francisco, both the Cowboys and Bengals odds have dropped in recent weeks and both teams are playing excellent football right now. NFC bettors who aren’t showing any brotherly love to Philly can look at the SF or the Cowboys at 9-1 for huge value this late in the season from two teams that are playing their best football right now. The ‘Boys may be a safer play with Dak Prescott under center instead of Brocky Purdy for the 49ers.

With all of the talk about the Bills and the Chiefs in the AFC, it’s often overlooked that the Cincinnati Bengals represented the conference in last year’s Super Bowl. Though it is hard to over look the Chiefs’ Super Bowl future at +450, getting +1000 on Cincinnati is one ticket that may be worth betting. The Bengals have reeled off five straight wins and face the Buccaneers this Sunday followed by a Patriots team that is going nowhere. The could be 11-4 heading into a huge game vs the Bills in Week 17 and ending the season at home vs. the Ravens. A split in those final tow and a 12-5 records will see them priced at +650 heading into the playoffs.

Overall, there is not much else to look at. Looking down the board, it’s hard to say that any of the teams price at greater than +1000 would be able to beat the likes of the Bills, Chiefs, Eagles or Niners. People are losing their minds over the Detroit Lions, why I don’t know. One NFL pundit actually said watch out for the Carolina Panthers! Of all things!! Best Bets are to look for the top team on the board and pick one of slightly longer odds teams that you believe in. There is nothing wrong with betting the Bills at +380! Keep in mind, by playoff time in January, these top teams may very well all be under 3-1.