Midpoint Predictions in the NFL Regular Season
It’s a pivotal time in the regular season of the NFL. Week nine comes to an end, and as we move into week 10, it’s a useful time to take stock. The halfway point is a good moment to look back on how the teams have been playing, check out the current standings, and look ahead to the remaining matchups.
It’s not too late for futures betting, either. Reviewing the current stats can put you on firmer ground when making long-term predictions. Of course, understanding football betting odds this NFL season is crucial. Fortunately, this rundown of the different types of future bets and the current status of key teams will set you straight.
A Closer Look at NFL Futures
Future bets, as you can guess from the name, look ahead at major outcomes of the season. You can wager on things like who will be named the MVP. However, in this section, we’re focusing on the 2025 Championship odds, which revolve around each team and its prospects across the season.
Most future wagers are straightforward moneyline odds, which show you how much you’d need to bet to win $100. In most matchups, you’ll see negative odds for the favorite and positive odds for the underdog. However, futures betting is more of a mixed bag with mostly positive odds. They tell you the implied probability of an event occurring: the higher the positive number, the less likely it is to occur.
Playoffs
The playoffs future bet is a yes or no question: will they make it or won’t they? The future odds you’ll find at sportsbooks now are based on the team’s current standing in their division. As we’re halfway through the regular season, tons of teams are already looking likely, which means you’ll find negative odds for those prospects. You could find more value in bets on the teams that have a bit of work to do to get there.
Wins (O/U)
The ‘wins’ bet is an over/under wager. You’re predicting how many wins they’ll have in the regular season. The sportsbook proposes an amount, such as 10.5. You can check the odds for predicting they’ll go over that amount or be under, and then you can wager accordingly. Each number has 0.5 added, so that there’ll be a clear outcome at the end of the season.
Division
A popular future bet is to predict which teams will win their division. With four divisions in each conference, that leaves you eight potential wagers to make on who will take the divisional crown. Some teams are clear leaders in their division, meaning that you might not find favorable futures odds for them at this point in the season.
Conference
Once the divisional play-offs are through, teams compete for the pride of winning their conference. The NFC Championship Game and the AFC Championship Game determine those results, and also who will meet in the Super Bowl. You can wager to predict which teams will come out on top in each conference.
Super Bowl
It’s the main event, and besides predicting who you think will be there, you’ll want to back the team you think will win. Halfway through the season is an interesting time to make your prediction, as you have quite a bit more information from form and team standings to go on.
How Things Stand
Despite currently being third in the AFC West division, some sportsbooks have the Kansas City Chiefs as the favorites to win the Super Bowl. That’s not surprising, though, given that they appeared in the last three Super Bowls, winning at LVII and LVIII, but losing to the Eagles at LIX. Here are some more useful insights based on the current standings.
Playoff Hopes Dashed
There are three teams that currently only have one win under their belts. As such, you won’t find futures odds for them making it to the playoffs. They’re the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets, and the Tennessee Titans. It’s the team’s regular-season winning percentage that determines which of the 14 teams make it to the playoffs.
Strong Contenders
It’s the ideal moment to look out for strong contenders in terms of potential divisional, conference, and Super Bowl winners. The Green Bay Packers are looking good, although the recent bad news for Tucker Kraft has raised some doubts. In the AFC, the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos are ones to watch.
Super Bowl Favorites
As previously mentioned, the Chiefs are the favorites at most sportsbooks for a Super Bowl win. Other contenders include the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers, and the Buffalo Bills. Last year’s champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, are also in the mix.
Changing Fortunes
One team, in particular, deserves a special mention as their journey (and their odds) have transformed. At the start of the season, most would have considered them barely worth mentioning, and the sportsbooks agreed. However, the Indiana Colts are now considered the season’s pacesetters, so check out the team’s future odds.
