Now that the 2022 NFL schedule released, we have a better idea of which teams may or may not benefit from the order of the week in which they will face their opponents. But what about the final recordings? Caesars Sportsbook has the front rows on win totals for all 32 teams, but which clubs stand out as safe bets to exceed or fall below those numbers? We’re glad you asked.
Here are nine early bets we’d make on teams poised to exceed expectations – or fall short – in 2022:
Bear: under 6.5 years old
Justin Fields may have untapped potential under center, but their new regime has done less to directly help a young quarterback than any team in recent memory. Matt Eberflus’ defense can prove spirited with a little more youthfulness, but at the end of the day you need to be able to score runs, and Fields still has a lackluster line and receiving body.
Matt Ryan may be past his prime, but he’s still giving Indy a quality arm a year after he had a playoff spot in sight. Despite the QB reshuffle, Frank Reich has won at least nine games in three of his four seasons on the job. With a scorching Jonathan Taylor and quietly improved defense, they should be in for a cakewalking program out of the AFC South.
They passed like they were on the verge of a Super Bowl, and the arrival of Deshaun Watson certainly marks an upgrade at QB, with Nick Chubb and Amari Cooper giving them additional Grade A weapons. But how long? Will Jacoby Brissett occupy QB with Watson likely to be suspended? Neither the Bengals, nor the Ravens, nor the Steelers will be chicks in this division either.
They went 9-8 in Nick Sirianni’s freshman year, when Jalen Hurts was more effective as a runner than a pitcher. Now Hurts has AJ Brown to partner DeVonta Smith, and the defense is better on literally every level. With a relatively soft start to the schedule and an even softer finish, with multiple NFC East slants, they should be squarely in the mix for another generic offering.
It’s been a breakthrough year for Kyler Murray, who is aiming for a lucrative extension, but boy did he get a tough draw with his schedule, opening against the Chiefs, Raiders and Rams (without DeAndre Hopkins) and closing with three of the four on the road against the Broncos, Buccaneers and 49ers. In a still tight NFC West, with drama still hidden at the QB, they could stumble.
Crows: Over 9.5
Lamar Jackson’s receiving body remains uncertain, but Baltimore has really beefed up its defense, adding Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams to an already feisty roster that’s sure to get healthier. It’s unclear if their apparent doubling down on the heavy approach will win them the AFC, but they have a path back to the playoffs. John Harbaugh has won more than 10 games in eight of 14 seasons.
When was the last time Dallas delivered on the preseason hype? Mike McCarthy may be on thin ice after an early 2021 playoff exit, Dak Prescott’s weapons — while still solid — look a little different, and the O line still has questions. They should be competitive, no doubt, but the Cowboys haven’t had consecutive double-digit winning seasons since the 1990s.
Steelers: over 7.5
Pittsburgh has a busy schedule. In the first half alone, they get the Bengals, Patriots, Browns, Bills and Buccaneers. There will inevitably be some growing pains for rookie QB Kenny Pickett too. And yet, Mike Tomlin is the coach who can never be counted out; he is still never had a losing season in 15 years. Even if Pickett is fine, they should be on par with themselves in 2021.
This might be the safest bet of the whole bunch. As if it weren’t enough that Atlanta is essentially back to square one in its post-Matt Ryan rebuild, the Falcons also have a brutal schedule; six of their first seven are against projected playoff contenders, and they don’t get a bye until Week 14. Whether it’s Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder at QB, they have an uphill battle.