It’s unattainable to keep away from speaking about taking the beneath on an NFL futures guess with out sounding like a hater. Essentially you’re stepping up a month earlier than the season begins and telling a fanbase that their staff is overrated, which is conflated with “they suck.”
To be clear: Not one of the groups being point out right here suck. Actually, they’re all actually good groups, a few of whom have an opportunity to make noise this season. It merely signifies that they’re being a contact overrated proper now primarily based on what we are able to count on in 2025, and which means there’s a possibility right here.
These are the present NFL win complete unders accessible on Fanduel that we expect are price taking a shot on.
Chicago Bears: Below 8.5 wins (-145)
The Bears have been a kind of groups everybody had excessive expectations for in 2024, and so they didn’t ship. Now they’ve employed Ben Johnson and historical past is repeating itself. There’s little question Johnson was an exceptional rent at head coach with the chops to show this group round, however the tea leaves are settling for this to be a difficult yr in Chicago.
Proper now the core subject is that Johnson is engaged on an entire transformation to mould this staff in his picture. He’s an offensive coach who bases his sport off precision, effectivity, and adhering to a longtime sport plan. The Bears haven’t had a coach like this in years, and the rising pains are going to be actual as gamers regulate to a extra exacting, strategic teaching type than that they had over Matt Eberflus.
This shift goes to be particularly difficult for Caleb Williams, who is an exceptional athlete who thrives out of construction. He’s essentially not a Ben Johnson QB, and whereas he can actually grow to be one, it feels iffy to say that may occur in a single day within the NFC North of all divisions. It simply feels just like the Bears are a 5 or 6 win staff that may take their lumps in 2025, then begin to surge ahead in 2026. It’s too early handy them two extra wins proper now.
Cincinnati Bengals: Below 9.5 wins (-110)
I don’t know if anybody is ready for simply how unhealthy this staff might be on protection. The Bengals have gone all-in on maintain their offense collectively and thrown all their sources there, whereas failing to disregard the worst components of their group. Defensively the staff is shambolic, and so they nonetheless lack an offensive line which might persistently shield Joe Burrow.
A 9 win staff a yr in the past, Cincinnati basically dared groups to try to cease Joe Burrow, then laughed as they failed. Now each single defensive coordinator in soccer has had a yr of watching Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase at their greatest and scheme up methods to cease them. There simply isn’t far more of a ceiling these two guys can push individually, and whenever you zoom out additional the remainder of the image is murky.
Till the Bengals enhance their protection sufficient to be satisfactory they really feel like a six or seven win staff. There can be some regression this season, and which means alternative.
Los Angeles Rams: Below 9.5 wins (+105)
The Rams are a sneaky staff that’s coached properly sufficient to be actually, actually good — however this Matthew Stafford again harm is an actual drawback. Two weeks in the past the Rams don’t make this checklist, however Stafford is so vital to the offense that they’re poised to backslide, even when he’s simply enjoying via ache.
It’s not just like the Rams are a lock to be unhealthy in any respect, there’s only a mammoth query mark right here that makes taking the beneath definitely worth the gamble. If Stafford isn’t capable of play a full season, or is solely slowed by his efficiency they are going to battle to win six video games on the schedule.
New Orleans Saints: Below 5.5 wins
The Saints have the extraordinary potential to be one of many worst NFL groups we have now ever seen. The shock retirement of Derek Carr within the offseason put this staff in a lurch, and Tyler Shough was a panic draft choose to plug the leak. While you look high down at this staff there’s little or no expertise at any place exterior of Alvin Kamara at working again, and Chris Olave at receiver. The remainder of the staff is both outdated, overpaid, or outdated and overpaid.
New Orleans gained 5 video games final season with Carr beneath heart, and as a lot as folks bemoan Derek Carr, the dude nonetheless threw for 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 10 video games. There’s little or no cause to imagine this staff gained’t battle to win three video games, let lone 4.
Seattle Seahawks: Below 8.5 wins (-165)
This staff went via some critical offensive downgrades within the offseason, and so they’ve been glossed over fairly a bit. Transferring on from Geno Smith and D.Ok. Metcalf is critical, and it’s placing a complete lot of religion in Sam Darnold to be the person he was for one yr in Minnesota, moderately than the participant he’s been for the remainder of his profession.
Defensively I like what Seattle is constructing, nevertheless it stays a piece in progress for Mike McDonald. They’re getting nearer to what he needs, however there’s extra to be completed. Actually the core subject is that this staff will battle to throw the ball as successfully as they did a yr in the past, and on common this staff solely scored 0.5 factors greater than they allowed per sport final season. In some unspecified time in the future the mathematics simply doesn’t math to ascertain this staff conserving it up.
When the mud settles this appears like a yr the place Darnold underperforms for half the schedule, Jalen Milroe is put in to see if he can provide a spark, and there can be promise — however not wins. This can be a step again season to take two ahead in 2026.
