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NFL Futures Picks: NFC Conference Winner Best Bets (2023)

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The first Sunday after the Super Bowl is always one of the toughest days of the entire year. But the best way to overcome the loss of football is to start thinking about next season’s futures!

Of course, future bets made in February are often the biggest dart throws. And sure, you may not be ready to take an NFL future in February. However, you can take advantage of the uncertainty that comes with betting in February. Say a team you’re interested in has a massive offseason. Their odds come April or May won’t be as good as they are now. Sometimes, buying early can pay off big.

With that said, let’s talk about some teams I’m eyeing to win the wide-open NFC.

Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports >>

Early NFL Conference Winner Best Bets

(All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Detroit Lions (11/1) 

As I mentioned above, the NFC is wide open, with two clear front runners in San Francisco (+350) and the defending champs, Philadelphia (+400). None of those teams offer much value right now. And frankly, I suspect the NFC will most likely be represented by one of these two loaded teams.

But my overarching point is that there is plenty of room for a team to emerge. And that team could very well be Detroit. The Lions were nearly a playoff team this year and have an exciting offense led by an outstanding offensive line and some exciting playmakers in D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Perhaps what’s most exciting is Detroit has eight draft picks, including the sixth and 18th-overall selections. They also have roughly $13 million in cap space to make some improvements via free agency.

Detroit has to decide whether it will continue to roll with Jared Goff under center. And the decision at QB will likely dictate the entire offseason. Detroit could opt to take one of the rookie passers in this year’s talented draft class. Or they could elect to address their 28th-ranked defense with their first two picks.

For the first time in decades, Detroit has options, and it has hope.

Chicago Bears (45/1) 

This is a long shot for a reason. But Chicago is positioned to make a big leap this offseason. The Bears obviously have the first-overall pick in the draft, which could command a king’s ransom via trade. They also have by far the most cap space in the league and figure to land big players in free agency.

Chicago has plenty of holes to fill. GM Ryan Poles completely stripped this team of talent, and he needs to start the rebuild by addressing the trenches on both sides of the ball. The goal will be to create a better infrastructure around Justin Fields, who had a strong second season despite having practically nothing to work with.

In a conference with only a couple of clear playoff locks, it wouldn’t stun me if Chicago made the playoffs a year removed from being the worst team in the league.

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section — including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes â€” or head to a more advanced strategy — like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor â€” to learn more.

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