NFL Futures: Best Bet for NFC Champion (2020)

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As summer begins, the 2020 NFL schedule looks like it will go on as planned. While the coronavirus pandemic has sidelined the entire sporting world, the NFL has continued to work with state and local governments. As of this week, the league has allowed staff into facilities.

Although fans may not be in attendance, all accounts point to the games getting played on schedule. Pandemic-related economic woes have not spared sportsbooks, so they’ll be thankful for the much-needed dose of normalcy.

One area that sportsbooks clean up on when it comes to the NFL is the futures market. In the NFC, there are no surprises at the top, as the San Francisco 49ers (+375), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+500), and New Orleans Saints (+550) lead the way.

Though I see little value remaining in the first tier, the next level of teams includes some enticing options like the Dallas Cowboys (+850), Philadelphia Eagles (+850), and Green Bay Packers (+850). There’s one team, however, a little bit further down the list that I see as having the most remaining value in what should be a very competitive 2020 NFC.

Let’s take a closer look at what I consider a strong bet courtesy of our friends over at BetMGM.

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The NFL can often be the poster child for constant change, but one team in the NFC has been a beacon of stability for the better part of the last decade. Since taking over as head coach in 2010, Pete Carroll has guided the Seahawks to the postseason in all but one season, winning the NFC West five times, the NFC twice and the Super Bowl once.

As strong teams often are, the Seahawks are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the league, seven-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson. After becoming the highest-paid player in the league in 2019, Wilson earned every penny, finishing the season with 4,110 yards and 31 touchdowns through the air on the way to an NFC Divisional Round appearance.

For the 2019 Seahawks, the biggest challenge came on the defensive side of the ball. The team surrendered 381.6 yards per game and 24.9 points. In April’s draft, the Seahawks spent their first-round pick on a linebacker who could see the field right away in Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech. Brooks will bolster a front seven that gave up 117.7 rushing yards per game in 2019.

Last year also saw the emergence of DK Metcalf as one of the best receivers in the game, and when paired with a healthy Tyler Locket in 2020, I expect the continued emergence of one of the best one-two punches in the league at the position.

To me, giving safety Quandre Diggs a full season under his belt to learn the Seattle playbook will be one of the biggest advantages the 2020 Seahawks will have over last season’s team. If cornerback Quinton Dunbar can be relieved of his pending armed robbery charges, this Seattle defense should return to their winning ways.

For my money, the Seahawks still offer tremendous value. They’re led by a quarterback and coach tandem who has been there before, and they’ve got what should be an improved defense. While the strength of the NFC West seems to improve every year, the Seahawks remain the franchise to beat.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks +1000

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