2025 NFL Top 5 Futures: Picks & Best Bets To Back
It’s August, which means it’s officially football season. The games may not start until the latter half of the month, but with rosters solidified, the first couple of weeks are a great opportunity to get in your favorite NFL futures bets at the best betting apps .
Bookies.com senior NFL handicapper Adam Thompson has his finger on the pulse of the NFL. Thompson has hit on over 60% of his NFL picks in each of the last four years. Here are his Top 5 NFL futures as the season nears.
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2025 NFL Futures Best Bets
Pick: Houston Texans, Win AFC South
Best Odds: +110 at DraftKings
I don’t see Houston as much of a threat in the AFC as a whole, but it’s in a very winnable division. The Texans' pass defense might be the best in the NFL, which goes a long way in today’s game, and CJ Stroud, I expect, will be better than his sophomore slump season, in which is went backward in just about every way.
Houston fixed the left side of the O-line, no Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell could be out all season rehabbing his knee. Christian Kirk and a pair of early round rookies will be asked to shoulder a larger load.
A big reason for the choice is that three isn’t much reason to feel great about the other three teams in the AFC South.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Win NFC South
Best Odds: +105 at FanDuel
This is a two-team race. We can forget about the Saints and the Panthers.
Carolina had a great off-season, added at least four new starters to the defense, and Tet McMillan to an offense that had zero punch. But there are too many question marks everywhere else, including QB progress. The Saints QB situation is not a contending-team situation, and they’ll be below average in probably just about everything.
The Falcons improved upon a terrible pass rush at the draft, but its pass D got weaker with free agency losses. They’re still stuck with Kirk Cousins’ contract, which limited their ability to really improve enough.
The Buccaneers went 10-7, won the division, and have decided to run it back, brining back most important free agents including Chris Godwin and LB Lavonte Davis, and added Haasan Reddick from the Jets.
Teams are going to be able to score on the Bucs, but pound-for-pound, Tampa could have a Top 5 type of offense if Baker Mayfield continues to do his thing. He had 41 TDs and over 4,000 yards. He led the league in INTs as well (16), but you’ll take that if they’re coupled with those other attributes.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Over 425.5 Points
Best Odds: -110 at DraftKings
Tampa must average about 25 ppg to hit the Over. Last season it scored 502 (29.5). The Bucs lost offensive coordinator Liam Coen, but Josh Grizzard, the passing coordinator, is now in that role so continuity reigns.
RB Bucky Irving was a rookie revelation with over 1,100 yards, 8 TDs and 5.4 yards per carry despite just three games started. They added rookie WR Emeka Egbuka, and the defense is going to give up points, which means shootouts will be required to win at least a few games.
Pick: Carolina Panthers, Over 6.5 Wins
Best Odds: -130 at DraftKings
Carolina’s won over six games once in the last six years. Year 3 under Bryce Young should be better because the team finally got a No. 1 target, albeit a rookie in Tet McMillan.
More important, the defense was overhauled, adding probably 4-5 starters in free agency, including 3-4 in the front seven which was a massive issue.
They’ll finally have some level of normalcy. It’s been 6 years since the Panthers entered a season with the same GM, coach and QB as the year before.
Also important, they’re still in the NFC South, with the Saints and Falcons. They own the league’s fifth-easiest schedule.
Pick: Las Vegas Raiders, Under 7.5 Wins
Best Odds: -155 at BetMGM
The team went 4-13 and blew things up this off-season. Pete Carroll is now the coach, Geno Smith is now the QB from Seattle. Ashton Jeanty was added to be the bell cow in the backfield. The defense had pieces last year and ranked middle of the pack. It might be better this year.
But it’s a tough schedule. The NFC West offers zero shoo-in games, because the Broncos and Chargers also improved and were already better, and the Chiefs are Super Bowl contenders. KC’s win total is 10.5, LAC and DEN each 9.5.
There’s maybe four games they’ll be favored or close. They play KC in Week 18, who might be resting players by then. It’s still a tricky road to eight wins.
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