The countdown to the start of the 2024 NFL season is on.
And with that, Chris “The Bear” Fallica and Geoff Schwartz get ready to kick things off with some season previews on “Bear Bets.”
In the most recent episode, the duo shared their favorite win total bets for the 2024 season.
Let’s go!
What are your favorite NFC total bets?
Schwartz: The Los Angeles Rams Over 8.5 wins
“They won 10 games last year, and they weren’t supposed to win 10 games. They strengthened their offensive line. Matthew Stafford had a healthy offseason; a full offseason with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp should be healthier.
“Sean McVay has done nothing but win. He had a bad year with five wins, but he’s had seasons with 12, 10, 9, 13 and 11 wins.”
The bear: Minnesota Vikings Over 6.5 wins
“I have complete confidence in Brian Flores and this defense. I know they lost Danielle Hunter, but he’s proven he can coach the defense wherever he is. I think they’re going to play Sam Darnold. They’re going to have the best receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson. You’ve got a great tight end in TJ Hockenson. You’ve got Aaron Jones. Their offensive line is good. The first half of the schedule isn’t super easy, but the middle and back half of the schedule are easier.”
Schwartz: New York Giants Less than 6.5 wins
“The reports from camp aren’t great. It’s early, but the offense doesn’t look good. It’s Daniel Jones, man. They got a bad offensive line, no Saquon Barkley and look at the division. The Eagles are going to be good. The Cowboys are going to be good. The Commanders should be better.”
The bear: Seattle Seahawks Over 7.5 wins
“I like the hiring of the coach. They have a little more positive EPA per play compared to some of the decisions Pete Carroll made in the past, which weren’t necessarily the best. I’m not a fan of Geno Smith, but you could do worse.
“If you like the Seahawks, you’ll want to play them before the season starts. They have the Broncos and the Patriots, two games they’ll probably win.”
Schwartz: Carolina Panthers Over 5.5 wins
“I’d like them to win seven or eight games this year. It’s an easier division. Bryce Young, we don’t need him to be a world champion. He just needs to be average! Diontae Johnson is going to catch 120 passes. They have some really good defense. They have a good defensive staff.”
The bear: Atlanta Falcons Under 9.5 wins
“There’s so much hype around Kirk Cousins, and then you make a bad pick. I mean, you pick Michael Penix Jr. when you have one of the worst defenses in the league. I’m a big fan of eliminating these hot teams. I know the schedule is supposed to be easy, but they had an easy schedule last year and won seven games. I know they had Desmond Ridder at quarterback, but they lost their two best pass rushers and didn’t replace them against a bad defense.”
The bear: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Less than 7.5 wins
“I think last year was a little bit of window dressing, but they were in the right place at the right time. Baker Mayfield had a fantastic year, but I think this is definitely a team that’s doomed to go backwards.”
What are your favorite AFC win total bets?
The bear: New York Jets Over 9.5 wins
“I’ll do it again. If you look at what they did in the draft, they did the right thing and they took Olu Fashanu to help fix an offensive line that had problems. They strengthened it by adding John Simpson, Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses. Smith, we’ll see how much he has left. And can he stay healthy? Mike Williams at receiver, can he stay healthy? They play the 49ers in the opener and after that, they’re potentially the favorites in their next 10 games.”
Are Aaron Rodgers and the Jets the best bet for total AFC wins?
Schwartz: Pittsburgh Steelers Less than 8.5 wins
“The quarterback situation in Pittsburgh is the third-best in the division at best. Russell Wilson is already injured and not even practicing. If Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are healthy and Deshaun Watson plays a little better, the Steelers will have the fourth-best quarterback in the division. You don’t win many games with the fourth-best quarterback in the division.”
The bear: Baltimore Ravens Less than 10.5 wins
“Are we sure Derrick Henry is a major upgrade for this backfield? How much energy do we think he has left? There’s so much pressure, I think, after the disappointment and the loss to the Chiefs on your home field. In the non-division schedule, you’ve got the Chiefs, the Bills, the Cowboys and the Eagles.”
Schwartz: The Las Vegas Raiders Less than 6.5 wins
“Who’s the quarterback? Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew? I don’t think so. They’ve got the AFC North on the schedule this year. … It’s a tough schedule on top of that. How many games are they going to be the favorite? I’m only thinking about the Raiders. I like Antonio Pierce, but I’m not thinking about the Raiders this year.”
What are your favorite bets in terms of total winnings?
The bear: Los Angeles Chargers Less than 8.5 wins
“It’s kind of a complete overhaul of the roster after going through salary cap hell. It seems like no matter who the coach is, who the quarterback is or what the situation is, bad luck seems to follow the Chargers year after year. I think the defense could be really, really bad.”
Bear, Geoff Schwartz deliver their best NFL win total bets
Schwartz: Arizona Cardinals Over 6.5 wins
“When Kyler Murray came back last year, they were 3-5. I think Kyler Murray, with the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. and left tackle Paris Johnson playing well, they seem to have this young talent that’s improving. Their defense wasn’t great last year, but it can’t be much worse.
“I think they’re a team that has eight or nine wins.”
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