NFL futures: Here are a couple of early NFL title favorites

Congrats to the Chiefs on another Super Bowl. We just watched the newest dynasty form. Two weeks of writing our confusion on Patrick Mahomes being the underdog to Brock Purdy delivered with our moneyline wins, and we picked up some prop wins too — hopefully, you had a fun and profitable Super Bowl Sunday!

It's time to say goodbye to the NFL season and forgive us, but we have to have one more day of football bets before we accept it's time to turn to NBA, NHL, NCAAB and golf to lead us for the next few months.

Our early betting favorites for the NFL 2024-25 season

Houston Texans to win Super Bowl (+2500 FD)

There are few things more valuable in the NFL than having an elite quarterback on his rookie contract, and that's what Houston has here with C.J. Stroud entering his second NFL season. Stroud was amazing in his first year, winning Rookie of the Year, and he's surrounded by young talent on offense that he can grow with, namely Tank Dell and Nico Collins.

Having these impact players on cheap deals, plus Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., has Houston sporting some elite flexibility this offseason. It's projected to have the fourth-most cap space in the league, which gives them a chance to funnel in some impact players at positions of need, such as offensive line and throughout the defense. Expect plenty of big names to join the Texans, and we love the value here on them making a championship run at 25-1.

Joe Burrow to win MVP (+1000 FD)

We stay in the AFC and sprinkle on Joe Burrow reminding everyone that he's very much one of the league's best passers. Hampered by injuries to start the year and eventually being shut down for the season has us perhaps forgetting just how dominant Burrow had been with the Bengals prior.

With a full offseason to get healthy, it's easy to see a strong 2024 coming for Cincy and Burrow, who will draw a last-place schedule as they look to get back to the deep postseason runs we started to grow accustomed to.

In the news ...

Chiefs win third Super Bowl in five years — The game started slow, but wow oh wow this is going to go down as an instant classic. Kansas City won 25-22 in overtime, with Mecole Hardman, who started the year on the Jets, catching a touchdown as the first OT's time expired to deliver the Chiefs their third Super Bowl in five seasons. Underdogs heading in for the second straight year, Kansas City is now the first team to win two straight Super Bowls since the Patriots did so in 2005. Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl MVP, finishing with 333 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 66 yards rushing. 

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers seemingly did not fully know the postseason OT rules, and this loss will quite simply paint Shanahan's legacy as one of the all-time choke artists in Super Bowl history, now 0-3, blowing a 10+ point lead in all three games. San Francisco is currently the favorite to win the Super Bowl next year at +550, followed by Kansas City at +650.

Get caught up with MLB six weeks out from the start of the regular season — It's never too early to prepare, right? With the NFL now finished, MLB will be the next sport to get going, helping us to fill the betting void that our football prep leaves. For a quick look around the league, be sure to check YB's own Jack Dougherty's breakdown of the league. The Dodgers are World Series favorites after their big offseason headlined by Shohei Ohtani, and the Baltimore Orioles seem to hold some futures value with some big moves focused on their starting rotation.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.