NFL Expert Picks: Super Bowl Champion, MVP, and Best Futures Bets for 2024

With the NFL season officially beginning Thursday, it's time to put (digital) pen to (fake) paper.

Prediction szn is here, friends. Time to stick our necks out.

Below are the Super Bowl LIX, MVP, and other futures bets the FanDuel Research staff likes in FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds. These are our favorite bets relative to market, not who we'd pick straight up in each category.

We'll be doing these same surveys each Friday for that week's upcoming slate of games. But which futures are we most keen to snag before kickoff? Let's check it out.

Super Bowl LIX, MVP, and Other Futures Betting Picks

Kenyatta Storin, Senior Editor

Super Bowl Pick: Cincinnati Bengals (+1500)

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are the clear favorites, but if we're looking for a little more value, I like buying low on the Cincinnati Bengals following a down year.

Let's not forget Cincinnati finished runner-up in the Super Bowl just a few years ago with a healthy Joe Burrow, and they enter the season as a top-five team in our power rankings.

It's hard to see them letting this Ja'Marr Chase contract dispute go much longer in this championship window, and they could benefit from one of the NFL's easiest schedules.

MVP Pick: Joe Burrow (+1000)

Offensive Player of the Year Pick: Bijan Robinson (+1600)

Austan Kas, Senior Editor

Super Bowl Pick: Baltimore Ravens (+1100)

MVP Pick: Brock Purdy (+1600)

Brock Purdy finished fourth in last year's MVP voting, has much of the same situtation around him for 2024, and is currently tied for the seventh-shortest MVP odds.

He led all quarterbacks in passer rating and adjusted yards per attempt a year ago, and the San Francisco 49ers should once again be one of the NFL's top teams.

An elite QB on an elite team, Purdy is slightly undervalued in the MVP market in my eyes.

Playoff Pick: Rams to Make the Playoffs (-112)

Austin Swaim, Senior Editor

Super Bowl Pick: Kansas City Chiefs (+550)

MVP Pick: Joe Burrow (+1000)

Win Total Pick: Falcons Over 10.5 Wins (+152)

The Atlanta Falcons enter 2024 drinking from an oasis of hope on both sides of the ball.

Kirk Cousins and former Rams assistant Zac Robinson figure to shore up Atlanta's playcalling and quarterback issues that plagued them consistently a season ago. Even if Cousins is injured for a second consecutive season, top-10 pick Michael Penix Jr. is also available.

On defense, the Falcons may struggle but did add impact players in Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons last month.

I expect this team to chew up the NFL's weakest division and contend for the NFC's top seed with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles traveling much bumpier paths.

Annie Nader, Writer

Super Bowl Pick: Buffalo Bills (+1700)

MVP Pick: CJ Stroud (+1200)

Win Total Pick: Panthers Under 5.5 Wins (+110)

I'm not quite understanding why the Carolina Panthers tout a 57.3% probability of tripling their win total from the 2023 season. What changed?

Sure, a fresh head coach in Dave Canales could provide greener pastures, and Bryce Young is primed for a sophomore jump.

But with that said, Carolina's offense didn't exactly make a huge jump this offseason; numberFire's metrics project them out as the second-worst while their defense ranks fourth-worst.

The NFC South may be soft, but Carolina went 1-5 in an even softer version of the division last season. Following a 2-15 season, six wins seems like a bold ceiling for this team in 2024.

Riley Thomas, Writer

Super Bowl Pick: Baltimore Ravens (+1100)

MVP Pick: CJ Stroud (+1200)

NFC North Pick: Packers to Win (+210)

The Detroit Lions have drawn the bulk of the attention in the NFC North, causing the Green Bay Packers to be overlooked. They enjoyed their own success late in 2023 as Jordan Love seemed to become a surefire franchise quarterback thanks to his 0.27 expected points added per dropback (EPA/db) from Week 10 on (including the playoffs), per NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

The defense made some really nice additions in the secondary by signing Xavier McKinney and drafting Javon Bullard in the second round.

Overall, I’m a huge fan of where the Packers are headed. Green Bay could even be a Super Bowl sleeper at +1800.

Skyler Carlin, Writer

Super Bowl Pick: Kansas City Chiefs (+550)

MVP Pick: Jordan Love (+1400)

Win Total Pick: Jaguars Over 8.5 Wins (-115)

The Jacksonville Jaguars have won nine games in each of the first two seasons under head coach Doug Pederson, and this year's group could be the best overall team he's had.

Trevor Lawrence leads an offense that has a solid arsenal with plentiful talent even with Calvin Ridley departed.

The defensive side of the ball is where the Jaguars can make the biggest improvement upon hiring Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator. Nielsen helped the Atlanta Falcons rank 18th in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed in 2023 despite Atlanta having the eighth-lowest QB pressure rate (33.6%) last season, via NextGenStats.

While the Houston Texans have a ton of hype, Jacksonville is more than capable of winning nine-plus games -- and potentially the AFC South.

Jim Sannes, Managing Editor

Super Bowl Pick: Dallas Cowboys (+1800)

MVP Pick: Dak Prescott (+2000)

We all love a good narrative, right?

What narrative can top a quarterback leading the Dallas Cowboys to the promised land in a contract year?

My model is much higher than market on the Cowboys, and if they come through on those expectations, Dak Prescott will (deservedly) get a lot of the credit. As a result, I'm fine double-dipping here despite the stink around the team entering the season.

NFC South Pick: Saints to Win (+490)

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Which futures stand out to you this year? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.