Football season is right around the corner as the kickoff of the 2024 season is only a week away. The Ravens and Chiefs start the season with a highly-anticipated AFC matchup at Arrowhead Stadium in the first edition of Thursday Night Football next week. After that, the season is underway and the 32 teams begin their grueling fight to be Super Bowl Champions. But first, let’s take a look back at the 2023 season and then get into the contenders for 2024, along with our expert’s best bets for the year.
The Chiefs etched their name into the history books last season as they became back-to-back Champions. Kansas City had a phenomenal regular season and Patrick Mahomes continued to impress (I feel like we say that every year) even without the most star-studded wide receiver group. Once they reached the playoffs, the Chiefs beat the Dolphins, Bills, and Ravens before facing off with the NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. The 2023 season turned Brock Purdy from a Cinderella story to an elite quarterback with a veteran mentality. The two teams met in Las Vegas and set the stage for a fantastic quarterback battle: the face of the league against Mr. Irrelevant. In classic Mahomes fashion, the Chiefs overcame a deficit to send the game to overtime before winning the game 25-22 with the help of some questionable decisions in overtime by the 49ers.
That was not all that happened last year though. A few other key stories included the Lions hosting their first home playoff game in years, Tyreek Hill recording nearly 2,000 receiving yards, a historic rookie season by C.J. Stroud, the Tush Push, and so much more. It was a great year for football, and expectations are even higher in 2024.
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Super Bowl contenders for the 2024 NFL season
This offseason featured plenty of blockbuster moves that shook the landscape of the NFL. Some of the biggest moves included Kirk Cousins joining the Falcons, the Bills sending Stefon Diggs to the Texans, the Chargers dealing Keenan Allen to the Bears, the Broncos trading Jerry Jeudy to the Browns, and the Steelers acquiring both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Even with these huge moves, there are two teams that oddsmakers believe are ahead of the pack.
Kansas City Chiefs (11/2)
Could the Chiefs become the first NFL team in history to win 3 consecutive Super Bowls? Oddsmakers certainly believe it’s a possibility since the Chiefs are +550 to win it all at FanDuel Sportsbook, the lowest odds of any team. Kansas City’s roster will look pretty similar to how it did last year, but with one major change. The Chiefs signed Hollywood Brown to become the leader of a very young and inconsistent wide receiver room. The pieces are there for the Chiefs to win it all, so don’t rule out 3 in a row.
San Francisco 49ers (6/1)
Brock Purdy and the Niners came up just short of their end goal last season. The 49ers offense solidified itself as one of the best in football as Purdy led a talented group made up of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. All 5 players should be returning for the 2024 season, but “should” is the key word. Aiyuk is holding out for a new contract and could be traded if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal with San Francisco. But if he returns to maroon and gold, the Niners pose a significant threat to the Chiefs.
Baltimore Ravens (11/1)
The Ravens were dominant in the regular season last year. But when it came time for the playoffs, the team froze like a deer in headlights. Baltimore lost Odell Beckham Jr. in the offseason but gained Derrick Henry which creates one of the best rushing attacks in all of football. Plus, Jackson has Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews returning as his favorite targets, so the Ravens do have the pieces to be successful in 2024. But will Jackson finally succeed in the playoffs?
Detroit Lions (12/1)
The Detroit offense was on another level last season. Fortunately for Jared Goff, he was surrounded with an extremely athletic offense that could turn a short gain into a big play. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs became the best rushing duo in the game while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta were scoring touchdowns left and right. The only issue the Lions need to fix is their defense, and if they can do that, they can become a serious Super Bowl contender.
2024 NFL Season Best Bets
Along with our Super Bowl bets, there are 2 division winner picks that are worthy of a bet. First, the AFC East. The Patriots’ reign of terror is over and the division is now between 3 teams: the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins. This year will be our first real glimpse of Aaron Rodgers in green and black, and he’s surrounded by a very talented offensive group. That’s why the Jets (8/5) are a great bet to win the AFC East. New York improved their offense around Rodgers and also strengthened their defense to create an elite secondary. As for the Bills and Dolphins, both teams have their weaknesses. Buffalo lost Stefon Diggs in the offseason and has a huge hole on offense as well as multiple injuries to key defensive players. Miami doesn’t have a problem with offensive firepower, but their defense got a lot weaker in the offseason. This could be the year of the Jets in the AFC East.
Next, we look at the AFC South. Right now, you can still find the Texans at plus odds to win the division. Houston is 21/20 to win the AFC South at FanDuel Sportsbook which seems too good to be true. C.J. Stroud burst onto the scene last year and created a phenomenal offense with Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and Dalton Schultz. Not only that, but the Houston defense was elite at the line last year. With their offseason additions to their secondary, the Texans have a very balanced team that could become a Super Bowl contender. But at minimum, the Texans can beat the Jaguars, Colts, and Titans for the division.
