Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers are primed for another Super Bowl run, but who else can expect a successful campaign?
Carolina Panthers to reach the Super Bowl – {ODDS:77260873:4/1}
The Carolina Panthers have a style perfectly suited for the playoffs, when the cold weather makes passing more difficult.
Their attack revolves around the powerful, punishing running of quarterback Cam Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart, a combination that carried them to the Super Bowl last season.
The Panthers may not equal their 15-1 regular season record from last year considering they have a much tougher shedule this time around.
Carolina only lost one key player to free agency over the summer, though, and with an extra year of experience they are the side most likely to win the NFC.
The Seattle Seahawks achieved back-to-back appearances at the Super Bowl in 2014 and 2015 while Denver finally won the title last season after losing two years before.
Don’t be surprised, then, if the Panthers become the latest side to make a speedy return to the Championship game in recent years.
Odell Beckham Jr to gain the most receiving yards – {ODDS:99415370:10/1}
The New York Giants should be one of this season’s best offensive teams, and that can only mean good things for their star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr.
The 23-year-old was electric throughout his first two years in the league, and he should be even better now he has fellow pass-catchers Sterling Shephard and Victor Cruz to occupy opposing defenders.
That means less double-teams for Beckham, and more opportunities to make the spectacular catches that he is known for.
Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the NFL’s best receiver, and perhaps even the best player in the league.
But the man throwing him the ball, Ben Roethlisberger, has struggled with injuries for years and started just 11 of 16 games last season.
Considering the Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year in 2004, at these odds, Beckham Jr looks the better bet.
Jim Caldwell to be the first head coach fired – {ODDS:99436057:4/1}
Jim Caldwell’s Detroit Lions lost seven of their first eight games last season, leaving them out of playoff contention before November.
Should the 61-year-old make a similar start this year, then he will almost certainly be fired.
The opening six weeks on their schedule don’t look particularly difficult, with winnable games against the Titans, Bears and Eagles.
The problem is, though, that the Lions aren’t very good at all.
What’s more, they will be without their best player from the past eight years after Calvin Johnson’s retirement this summer left a gaping hole in their attack.
Caldwell has always relied heavily upon the imposing wide receiver – when Johnson played poorly last year, Detroit lost – and his job now depends on his ability to adequately replace the 30-year-old.
For a coach that made it to the Super Bowl in 2009 but has recently become better known for his baffling decisions, his chances of lasting the season are slim.
Bill Belichick to win coach of the year – {ODDS:94167780:6/1}
With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, you might think the New England will struggle without one of the best quarterbacks ever.
The Patriots have been remarkably consistent since Bill Belichick became head coach in 2000, though.
They have won more than 10 games in all but two of his 16 seasons in charge, missed the playoffs just three times, and won four Super Bowls.
Even when Brady missed a whole season through injury in 2008, the Patriots still won 11 games before somehow missing out on a playoff spot.
The transition should be smooth with third-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who will make his first starts in the NFL.
Should New England emerge from that opening month relatively unscathed, they will be well-placed to finish top of their division for the 13th time in 14 years.
That would be a fine achievement for Belichick, and one that should earn him an end-of-season honour.
Aaron Rodgers to win MVP – {ODDS:99413572:11/2}
The strategy for picking the league’s most valuable player is simple.
Offensive players have won the award in all but three of its 59 years, while only one recipient in the past nine years has played a position other than quarterback.
Signal callers are the way to go, then, and Aaron Rodgers is rightly the 11/2 favourite this season.
The Green Bay Packers’ talisman has been named the league’s MVP twice before, while the return from injury of Jordy Nelson – his top receiving option – should ensure he bounces back from a difficult season last time around.
In six of the last seven years the quarterback for the team with the NFL’s best record has won the award.
Rodgers’ Packers have one of the best rosters in the league and, with the easiest schedule of any team, they will likely rack up the wins needed to achieve an MVP season.
