The 2020 NFL season is scheduled to begin on September 10th, and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are betting favorites to win another title at Super Bowl LV in Tampa next February.
Before the season kicks off, FTW’s Steven Ruiz, Charles Curtis and Nick Schwartz made their over/under picks for every NFL team’s projected win total.
Teams are listed with their listed 2020 win total, per BetMGM, along with their under/over odds, listed in that order. For example, the Cardinals are currently listed at 6.5 (+135/-164), meaning a bettor gets +135 odds on under 6.5, and -164 odds on over 6.5.
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Arizona Cardinals: 6.5 (+135/-164)
Charles: Over
Nick: Over
Steven: Over
The defense can’t be as bad as it was a season ago and I have every reason to believe the offense will take off now that Kyler Murray has a year of experience under his belt and a new No. 1 receiver to work with in DeAndre Hopkins. - Steven Ruiz
Atlanta Falcons: 7.5 (-121/+100)
Charles: Under
Steven: Under
Nick: Under
The Falcons won 6 of their last 8 in 2019 to salvage a 7-9 season, but the NFC South is tougher this year, and the Falcons face the fifth toughest schedule in the league by record. - Nick Schwartz
Baltimore Ravens: 11.5 (-115/-105)
Steven: Over
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
Elite offense, incredible defense, good schedule. At least 12 wins should be no problem. - Charles Curtis
Buffalo Bills: 8.5 (+120/-143)
Steven: Over
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
I do think the Buffalo hype to win the AFC East is a tad too much heading into 2020, but as long as the defense clamps down again and Josh Allen doesn’t completely implode, I could see a 9-7 season in Western New York. - CC
Carolina Panthers: 5.5 (+100/-120)
Charles: Under
Steven: Under
Nick: Under
There's zero continuinty and too much for new coach Matt Rhule's staff and players to prove in a division with two potentially great teams. - NS
Chicago Bears: 8.5 (-176/+145)
Nick: Under
Charles: Under
Steven: Under
How is their win total so high?!?! Does Vegas know something we don’t? Are the Bears hiding a competent starting quarterback somewhere on the roster? The defense is not as deep as it was a year ago and the offense seems to be getting worse. This is an eight-win team at best. - SR
Cincinnati Bengals: 5.5 (+115/-139)
Steven: Under
Nick: Over
Charles: Under
I do think Joe Burrow and the offense will be good enough to win a few games, but there are too many question marks on defense to consider the over. - CC
Cleveland Browns: 8.5 (+105/-125)
Steven: Under
Nick: Under
Charles: Under
I went back and forth here, but ultimately landed on eight wins. The division is tough, and although I’m buying into Baker Mayfield getting a boost from new coach Kevin Stefanski, I think it’s another up-and-down season. - CC
Dallas Cowboys: 9.5 (+135/-164)
Steven: Over
Nick: Under
Charles: Over
I see a bargain here. The offense – now with first-round pick CeeDee Lamb – is going to be among the most balanced in the league, and the defense has a terrific front seven. At least ten wins will be more than doable. - CC
Denver Broncos: 7.5 (+115/-139)
Nick: Over
Charles: Under
Steven: Over
Even if Drew Lock stumbles in his second season, there is just too much talent on this roster for it to fail. And I have faith in Vic Fangio to build a top-10 defense with the players he has at his disposal. That should be enough to keep Denver around .500 all season. - SR
Detroit Lions: 6.5 (+115/-139)
Charles: Over
Nick: Over
Steven: Over
While I’m not jumping on the Lions’ bandwagon like a lot of NFL analysts are this offseason, this team is a lot better than what we saw last year in Detroit. They lost just about every close game they were in and Matthew Stafford missed nearly half the season. Six wins seems to be Detroit’s floor. - SR
Green Bay Packers: 9 (-139/+115)
Charles: Under
Nick: Over
Steven: Under
I like the Packers to win the division, but the smart money is on the under. The Packers were one of the worst 13-3 teams we’ve ever seen based on point differential and DVOA, so some regression is expected. And it’s not like the front office significantly upgraded the roster to prevent the team from taking its expected steps back. - SR
Houston Texans: 7.5 (-120/+100)
Steven: Over
Charles: Under
Nick: Under
Can David Johnson stay healthy and produce at a high level? Can the combined powers of Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks replace DeAndre Hopkins? I have my doubts, and since I'm expecting the Titans to still be good and the Colts to take a leap forward, 7-9 or worse for Houston feels like the safer bet. - NS
Indianapolis Colts: 8.5 (+145/-176)
Steven: Over
Charles: Over
Nick: Over
The Colts upgraded at QB with Philip Rivers, have been solid in the draft in recent years, sit in a winnable division and have very winnable games against the NFC North this year. This one's easy. - NS
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 (-164/+135)
Steven: Under
Charles: Under
Nick: Over
The key here is that you're safe if the Jags get to five. If the line was 5.5, I'd go under, but getting plus-odds for a team that per PFF simulations should win 6.2 games is a solid bet. - NS
Kansas City Chiefs: 11.5 (+110/-130)
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
Steven: Over
Even with Patrick Mahomes hobbled for a chunk of the season, the Chiefs still managed to win 12 games in 2019. With rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the fold, the offense could be even better and the defense should only improve in Steve Spagnuolo’s second season. - KC
Las Vegas Raiders: 7.5 (-115/-105)
Nick: Under
Charles: Under
Steven: Under
The Raiders were not a very good team last year, and a lot of the reinforcements they brought in this offseason aren’t sure things. The defense still looks bad on paper and Jon Gruden has had trouble adjusting his offense in the second half of games. This is a seven-win team on paper. - SR
Los Angeles Chargers: 7.5 (+110/-134)
Charles: Under
Nick: Under
Steven: Over
The quarterback situation is concerning, but there is just too much talent on the roster for this team not to win eight games. Barring the typical Chargers luck we’ve seen take this team down in the past, of course. - SR
Los Angeles Rams: 8.5 (-125/+105)
Charles: Under
Nick: Over
Steven: Over
Everything went wrong for the Rams last year. Injuries and poor close-game luck prevented Los Angeles from making it back to the playoffs, but even with everything going wrong, the team still finished with nine wins. A reversal in fortune will allow the Rams to hit the over, even if it doesn’t lead to a playoff berth. - SR
Miami Dolphins: 6 (+125/-150)
Steven: Under
Nick: Over
Charles: Under
I think Miami will surprise some opponents this year, but they’ll fall just short of their win total at five victories. - CC
Minnesota Vikings: 8.5 (+130/-159)
Nick: Under
Charles: Over
Steven: Under
The Vikings intentionally took a step back this offseason in order to get their cap situation in order. As a result, Minnesota lost a lot of veteran talent and the young guys -- the Vikings made 15 picks in the draft! -- will need some time to get up to speed. While the offseason approach may benefit the team down the line, it could be a frustrating 2020 season in Minnesota. - SR
New England Patriots: 9.5 (-125/+105)
Nick: Under
Steven: Over
Charles: Over
If there’s anything we’ve learned from betting against Bill Belichick over the years, it’s this: don’t bet against Bill Belichick. - CC
New Orleans Saints: 10.5 (-120/+100)
Steven: Over
Charles: Over
Nick: Over
There's no reason the Saints shouldn't win 11 or 12 games this year. Even if Drew Brees misses time, Jameis Winston is a capable replacement. Easy over at +100. - NS
New York Giants: 6.5 (-164/+135)
Steven: Under
Nick: Over
Charles: Under
Daniel Jones should take a step forward, but the defense isn’t good and they’ll play the Cowboys and Eagles twice each. I’m shocked it’s not lower than 6.5. - CC
New York Jets: 6.5 (-115/-106)
Steven: Under
Nick: Under
Charles: Under
Yes, last year’s second-half schedule was swiss-cheesy easy. Sure, maybe Sam Darnold and Co. take another step forward. But, this year’s schedule is much, much harder. Second-hardest, to be exact. So I’ll take the under. - CC
Philadelphia Eagles: 9.5 (-125/+105)
Steven: Under
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
This was the toughest of the bunch. Can the Eagles get to 10 wins with uncertainty in their receiving corps? Is Darius Slay going to solve what ailed their secondary? I went with the over … but I’m not that certain of it, given that I’m also assuming the Cowboys win the division. - CC
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9 (-105/-115)
Steven: Over
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
Getting Ben Roethlisberger back is so huge and we know from last season just how good this defense can be at every position. I love the over here as the Steelers snag a Wild Card spot. - CC
San Francisco 49ers: 10.5 (-105/-115)
Nick: Over
Charles: Over
Steven: Over
There are legitimate questions about the receiving corps, but the 49ers are loaded everywhere else on the roster. And they have Kyle Shanahan around to mitigate the weakness at receiver. San Francisco isn’t going anywhere. - SR
Seattle Seahawks: 9.5 (-115/-105)
Nick: Under
Charles: Over
Steven: Under
The Seahawks’ 2019 point differential and record in close games suggests they were lucky to make the playoffs and win 11 games. As good as Russell Wilson is, he’s not going to be able to fight off that regression on his own. Even if the team as a whole improves, getting to 10 wins in a difficult division will be hard. - SR
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10 (-125/+105)
Steven: Over
Charles: Under
Nick: Under
The receiving corps is undoubtedly great, but I'm just not willing to bet on 43-year-old Tom Brady, especially when I'm safe if they hit 10-6. - NS
Tennessee Titans: 8.5 (+115/-139)
Steven: Under
Charles: Under
Nick: Over
Tennessee hasn't managed a record other than 9-7 since 2015, and with a fairly easy schedule to deal with, I'm predicting another 9-7 campaign in 2020. - NS
Washington: 5 (+105/-125)
Steven: Over
Nick: Under
Charles: Over
There are a lot of reasons to take the under, but I’ve been wrong before about a team that I think could be one of the NFL’s worst (remember that time I thought the Jets wouldn’t win a game that one year? I do!). So I’ll say they find a way to get to six wins. - CC
