3 NFL Teams to Bet to Make the Playoffs in the 2024 Season
Even with the recently expanded playoff field, it's hard to know who will make the NFL's postseason before we see the teams in action. One or two "locks" will miss out every year while surprise contenders will sneak in. So, who will fall into the latter category this year? Let's talk about some teams whose odds of making the playoffs hold some value for us.
All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and accurate as of 9:30am Eastern on June 2, 2024
Cleveland Browns (+150)
It's hard to fathom these odds for Cleveland, one of the most complete teams in football, other than the fact that they play in the best division in the AFC. Nonetheless, there should certainly be at least a Wild Card spot available for the Browns, who went 11-6 in 2023 despite getting just about the lowest level of QB play possible.
Deshaun Watson played in just six games and was far from fantastic in those, so Dorian Thompson-Robinson, PJ Walker, and Joe Flacco had to steer the ship the rest of the way. Watson will likely never be his Houston self again, one of the best three or so quarterbacks in the league, but there's almost no way he's worse than what Cleveland got after he went down; a healthy starting QB should do wonders for what was otherwise a phenomenal Browns team last year.
Similarly, Nick Chubb was a big loss, and while he may take time to regain comfort after his big injury, he should be a nice re-addition to the offense. With an elite defense and o-line, all the Browns should need to compete should be increased health from their starting offensive skill group, which should not be a big ask compared to last year's state of affairs.
Chicago Bears (-120)
Last season, the Bears dealt with a month without Justin Fields, lost three games they had over a 90% in-game probability of winning, and still scraped out seven wins in a hyper-competitive NFC North. So it's fair to say that the roster was more or less playoff-caliber, as they really did play well enough to win 9-10 games, especially down the home stretch of the season when the defense became a top-5 unit by many metrics.
Now, after making massive upgrades to their offensive skill group with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze headed into town, keeping the defense largely intact, and securing super-prospect Caleb Williams with the #1 overall pick, it's hard to imagine them being any worse. The NFC North is challenging to be sure, but the Green Bay Packers have become one of the most overhyped teams of the offseason, the Detroit Lions will be dealing with the rigors of a first-place schedule.
The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting position, but their rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy is likely less-ready than Williams in terms of ability to compete right away, and the roster's evolution is less advanced overall. Expect Chicago to win double-digit games this year and comfortably secure a Wild Card spot, if not the division.
Indianapolis Colts (+140)
This might be the most surprising inclusion on this list, as the Colts aren't being talked about by many as a playoff contender, but these relatively short odds are an indication that Vegas is already beginning to catch up to the notion that this team could accomplish something meaningful this season.
In year one under head coach Shane Steichen, the Colts took a jump from four wins to nine despite very mediocre quarterback play from Gardner Minshew after promising rookie Anthony Richardson went down. Indy has had a relatively quiet offseason, but they've done plenty right, including one of the best value picks of the first round, explosive UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu at #15 overall.
Offensively, expect Indy to take a step up with a healthy Richardson, who will be throwing to a quietly solid wideout trio of Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and another incredible value pick, #52-overall selection Adonai Mitchell out of Texas. The heart of any great offense, however, is the line, and Indy's ranked sixth in PFF's pass-blocking metric and seventh in the run game, so this unit should be primed to take a step up in a still-mediocre AFC South.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.