The first game of the new NFL regular season comes up on September 7 as the Detroit Lions head to Kansas City to take on the reigning champion Chiefs. The Chiefs will have an eye already set on Super Bowl LVIII having made it to the deciding game three times in the last four seasons.
The NFL is one of the most popular sports across the betting sites in Canada and that is no surprise. Let’s break down every team in the NFL and see who we think can head to Paradise, Nevada for Super Bowl LVIII.
The AFC East has been a deep division for a long time, with the Patriots leading the charge for many years. Three of the four teams will have hopes of making an impact this season.
In Josh Allen, the Bills have a QB who can make this a team to remember. They have not quite lived up to that so far but have looked like a squad more than capable of winning a Super Bowl when they finally get all their ducks in a row. Their issue for 2023 is on the D-side of the ball, there could be some crazy points totals in Bills games this season.
Had their season derailed last year when QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered from concussion issues. That has to be a concern for the franchise as a whole this year, especially with the potential improvement from the Jets. It was good to see the Dolphins back competitive but they might not be able to back that up.
The post-Brady era looks like being rough for the first while at least. With improvements elsewhere in the division, the Patriots could spend this season looking up at three teams above them who they routinely used to beat up on. Bill Belichick is a genius but even for him, this is going to be a challenge.
The arrival of Aaron Rodgers has lifted hopes in New York. Run options are thin on the ground so his arm will provide the majority of the offense. They are solid enough on the other side of the ball as well so something like a 10-7 season would not be a surprise. How far they could go if they make the playoffs is debatable but the Jets will be better this year.
No love lost in the AFC North, divisional games are always hard fought with an added spice to them, especially come December if they are in contention.
Losing Super Bowl finalists from 2021, they were 4-4 last year before an eight-game winning run propelled them to their 12-4 final record and the AFC North title. There is little doubt this is a talented bunch looking to put ‘Bungals’ teams of the past to rest. Super Bowl LVIII contenders for sure.
Lamar Jackson is a human highlight reel, a video game QB who can turn a game on its head. He is also looking increasingly fragile, missing time the last couple of seasons that has put the Ravens on the back foot. It would be unfair to call them a one-man team but they will live and die on his fitness once more.
Kenny Pickett lived up to his name through the first half of last season but he quickly adapted with the Steelers closing out with five straight wins to gain a 9-8 record. That would be a solid record again this year as they continue to be bogged down by the frankly awful playcalling of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Baker Mayfield briefly solidified the QB position in Cleveland which has otherwise been a revolving door in recent years. It is now over to Deshaun Watson to let his ball play do the talking. Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in the league but can these two carry the team to the playoffs? Probably not.
An interesting division with a new and rather surprising winner in 2022, can the Jaguars maintain their improvement or will the Titans be back on top?
It was almost as if a lightbulb went on in the head of Trevor Lawrence partway through last season as he suddenly figured the league out and went on a tear. In a weak enough division, a season with 10+ wins looks entirely plausible for a team that suddenly became enjoyable to watch.
There is still quality in the music city, the problem is that it’s ageing. Their D-Line is amongst the best in the NFL and in Derrick Henry they have one of the strongest running backs but the sum of these parts does not equal a trip to the postseason in 2023.
The days of Payton Manning are long gone in Indy, these days the team is an empty shell that has to be filled. There are green shoots with some potentially decent draft picks and a new and hungry head coach but there is not enough to think they can make any real impact this season.
Won the South four times in the five seasons from 2015-2019 but have been abject since, combining for an 11-38 record. It is hard to find anything positive to say about this current incarnation but they play in such a poor division that a 6-12 year is not out of the question.
The home of the defending champions, it is an interesting division behind them with some teams who have designs on a stronger showing this year.
Home cooking was good in Kansas last season, 7-1 on their own soil to accompany a 6-0 record against the AFC West, a division they have won seven times in a row. With three Super Bowl appearances in four years, Patrick Mahomes is helping build a dynasty. They look sure to go deep again this year.
The emergence of Justin Herbert has been beautiful to watch. The Chargers have gotten better around him each season, getting into the playoffs last year only to be ousted by a single point in a remarkable game with the Jaguars. They will need further improvement to trouble the Chiefs at the top of the division and improvement from the Broncos makes this a deep division.
Things took a sour turn last year with the departure of Derek Carr leaving the team without their long-standing figurehead. It does give them a chance to start anew which might help some of the other players on the team. A Vegas team will have plenty of demands made on them and this group doesn’t have the talent to back that up just yet.
Failed to live up to expectations last year, Nathaniel Hackett was unable to even finish a single season as head coach. Hopes are high following the appointment of Sean Payton who led the Saints to the promised land in Super Bowl XLIV. This team is better than their 2022 showing and could surprise a few.
This is always such a tough division to predict. The Eagles were back last year while the Cowboys will always be thereabouts.
Beaten Super Bowl finalists last season, they had a remarkable run-through with Jalen Hurts leading the charge. They have the beaten finalist’s hangover scenario to overcome this time around as well as a far tougher schedule but they look too strong for either of those to worry them.
Double-figure wins look set once more this season with Dak Prescott again in control of the offense. That might not be enough to take the top spot off the Eagles but will be plenty to see them back in the postseason. Five of their first eight are on the road including the Eagles, 49ers and Chargers, that’s a tough start for their wuest for a trip to Super Bowl LVIII.
Made it back to the playoffs last season, Brian Daboll winning coach of the season in the process. Things might not be so easy in his sophomore year in charge and much will depend on how Daniel Jones continues to grow into his role as the leader of the offense. The schedule looks tougher this time around so they need to improve again.
Enjoyed a relatively successful season mainly due to their strong defensive work. It looks like they are giving the ball to Sam Howell to start this season which is a bold move. He has the distinction of having thrown a TD in every game of his college career but this is a very different level for him.
Lions and Vikings and Bears oh my. Plus of course, the Packers as they start life minus Aaron Rodgers. This was a one-sided division in 2022 but might prove tighter knit this time.
13-4 last year and the runaway winners of the division with the strange anomaly of a -3 point differential. Things look tougher this time around and with a trip to the Eagles in week 2 and with home games with the Chiefs in week 5 and 49ers in week 7, they could find themselves at 4-4 as November looms.
The team that everyone has been hyping up this offseason, the Lions are expected to roar once more in 2023. 5-1 in their division last year set them up for a winning record and with their two clashes with the Vikings coming very late, those could see them clinch. Their offensive and defensive lines are both strong, something that very few other teams can claim.
All Love and no Rodgers make the Packers a dull team, to paraphrase a famous film. The plus for Green Bay has been the strength of their run game which can take unnecessary pressure off Love. Whether that will be enough to give them more than a 6-11 record, only time will tell.
3-14 last year made the Bears the worst team in the NFL, even below the Texans! They traded away their number 1 pick in a deal for wide receiver DJ Moore who will quickly become the top target for Justin Fields. They should be better this year, perhaps flirting with a 7-10 or 8-9 record but Monsters of the Midway they ain’t.
Won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year despite a record of 8-9, this was a dismal division. Things are not shaping up to be much better this season so we could be looking for another winner by default.
Tom Brady has retired (again) so it will be Baker Mayfield taking the snaps. Mayfield means that the Bucs will run the ball more this year but they lack the quality in the RB core that makes this a winning strategy. Could be cannon fodder for most of the season, feel free to insert your own sinking ship joke where required!
The Panthers moved up to number 1 in the draft to take the 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young. The pressure on a rookie quarterback is always tremendous no matter what number pick they were so perhaps he sits at first. That would leave Andy Dalton to lead the team minus leading receiver DJ Moore who went to the Bears in return for the number 1 pick. Tough year ahead.
The Saints are favourites to win this division, though what that is actually worth in the wider picture is debatable. Derek Carr’s departure from Vegas could light a fire under the veteran QB but with Alvin Kamara missing the early weeks and Michael Thomas seemingly made of glass in recent seasons, they look no better than ordinary.
Expect another year of a run-heavy game plan from Arthur Smith’s team behind an offensive line that is mooted as one of the best in the business. How many points they concede will ultimately decide their fate but they should be a quick team to watch this year as they chew up the clock.
A division of two halves last year but there could be a touch more quality from the Rams at least this season to go along with a genuine contender in the 49ers and a solid team in Seattle.
Not only one of the very best defensive teams but also one more than capable on the offensive side of the ball as well. Their 2022 campaign fell apart late on with four QBs under centre across the season. Brock Purdy will start this year having looked solid in limited action, they should keep things tight on the D-side so he won’t have so much pressure to pick up points.
Their first year without Russell Wilson ended above .500, they will be looking to build on that in 2023. They fell to the 49ers in the Wildcard round in the playoffs but there is no disgrace in that. Once more, they will be chasing the 49ers in the division. Geno Smith will be 33 in October with this feeling like a now or never season for the Seahawks. Sadly, never looks by far more likely.
The Rams were awful last year but a year after winning a Super Bowl. You don’t go from champions to one of the worst teams overnight despite some players departing. A team that can field Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp. Tyler Higbee and Aaron Donald should be better and they will trend back in the right direction this season.
Having started 7-0 in 2021, the wheels have fallen off the wagon since. They choked that season before stumbling to a poor 4-13 last year. Things are not looking much better for 2023, they are expected to be at the bottom of this division and perhaps with an even worse record.
This is the million dollar question! The usual contenders will be there like the Chiefs, Bills and 49ers while most are expecting a much stronger challenge from the Lions this season. Perhaps the value on the Lions at +2200 has gone now but they should make a deep run this season.
For those looking for an even bigger price, the Rams are +7000 yet two years ago they lifted the Lombardi Trophy. Yes, things fell off a cliff last season but as a group they are far too talented to be down on the mat for long. They and the Broncos (+4000) have the potential to surprise a few in their respective divisions in the west.
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