Alt text: Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium Home – Source: Unsplash
The countdown is nearly over. On September 4th, the Philadelphia Eagles will take center stage at Lincoln Financial Field, kicking off the 2025 NFL season in a showdown against their rival Dallas Cowboys. The reigning champions are heading into the campaign full of confidence after obliterating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 at Super Bowl LIX. Unsurprisingly, the reigning champions head into the new term as a favorite with football betting providers to go all the way once again.
The latest football betting odds at Bovada currently have the Birds listed as a +700 frontrunner, level with both the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, two of the AFC’s genuine heavyweights. But while those three certainly deserve top billing, some other teams are considered contenders, albeit outside ones, despite sentiment indicating otherwise.
Here are three teams that we’re surprised to see the bookies consider contenders for championship glory in the 2025 NFL season.
Minnesota Vikings
What does it mean to trust the unknown? For the Vikings, it involves betting a Super Bowl dream on a debutant quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan standout steps into a starting role left vacant by Sam Darnold, who departed for Seattle in the offseason. While McCarthy shone in college and spent a year learning last term, he has to hit the ground running, especially when the road runs through the gauntlet known as the NFC North.
Yet, there’s something undeniably eye-catching about the Minneapolis-based outfit. At the heart of their offense is Justin Jefferson, arguably the league’s most electrifying wideout. The former LSU star’s ability to dominate defensive backs in short routes, deep patterns, and everything in between makes him a game-breaking weapon. If McCarthy can stay poised under pressure and feed Jefferson consistently, opposing defenses won’t rest easy.
However, this optimism crashes into a brutal reality check. The rebooted Detroit Lions can now be labeled legitimate NFC contenders after claiming the Divisional crown in each of the last two seasons. The Green Bay Packers remain defensively stout despite their own recalibration to younger quarterback Jordan Love. And even Chicago, after years of mediocrity, seems primed to make noise behind their young nucleus headlined by last season’s number one overall draft pick, Caleb Williams.
Are the Vikings worth a look at +2000? If the stars align, perhaps. But they’ll be walking a tightrope in a division that gives no room for error.
Los Angeles Rams
No stranger to Lombardi success, the Los Angeles Rams romped to Super Bowl glory in 2022, coming back from the dead late on to see off the Cincinnati Bengals on home turf. But time hasn’t been kind to Sean McVay’s squad since. Their lone playoff win – last season’s wildcard victory against the aforementioned Vikings – in three seasons signals a franchise unaccustomed to their current status of mediocrity.
So, what elevates them to +1500, ahead of several presumed dark horses? It seems bookmakers are hedging on the Rams’ pedigree.
With Matthew Stafford under center, LA doesn’t lack star power or experience. The former Detroit Lion remains one of the NFL’s most accomplished passers, capable of turning games on their heads with moments of brilliance. But the offense he once led isn’t the same.
Cooper Kupp, the heartbeat of the Rams’ 2022 championship run, has left town. His replacement? Davante Adams—a player with a different skillset but similar big-play aura. If Adams and Stafford can build chemistry quickly, the Rams could rediscover the offensive electricity that set them apart years ago.
Still, major questions linger. Their defense, once anchored by Aaron Donald’s generational dominance, appears to have lost its teeth. And in the NFC West, home to the defensively terrifying San Francisco 49ers and the rising star power of the Seattle Seahawks – Kupp’s new team – mediocrity isn’t good enough.
Do the Rams justify +1500 odds? If Stafford rediscovers his peak-era sparkle and Adams thrives in his new surroundings, perhaps. But for a team that has wavered in form and direction, it feels like the price overshadows the warning signs.
Cincinnati Bengals
For two years now, the Cincinnati Bengals have been the NFL’s ultimate enigma. Objectively speaking, a team stocking weapons like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins shouldn’t be on the playoff sidelines—but that’s exactly where they’ve ended up. And yet, despite two consecutive seasons of playoff absence and a frustrating tendency to start campaigns sluggishly – three straight 0-2 records entering Week 3 – oddsmakers see something special in their +2200.
It starts with their offense, which, when firing, is jaw-dropping. Burrow is the cool-headed assassin, meticulously picking apart secondaries with precision. He led the league in terms of both throwing yards and touchdowns last term, while his primary target, Chase, claimed the receiving triple crown. Higgins? A physical, reliable complement that would be WR1 anywhere else.
Why the skepticism, then? Well, here’s the deal. Cincinnati’s defense has ranged from shaky to outright disastrous, lacking the ability to win games when the offense stutters. Last season, the Bengals lost eight games despite scoring over 25 points in six of them. Their troubles stopping the run and vulnerability to deep balls have rendered them incapable of closing out tight contests against elite teams.
Compounding matters is the unforgiving AFC North. Baltimore enters 2025 in full juggernaut mode with Lamar Jackson leading a high-efficiency offense alongside Derrick Henry. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has paid big money to the likes of newboys DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Rodgers, as well as making TJ Watt the highest-paid non-QB ever.
What do +2200 odds indicate? Burrow and company have the potential to turn those flashes into something concrete. But until they can shed their slow-start reputation and fix glaring flaws, they remain a gamble on sheer talent, not proven execution.
