NFL Best Bets for 2022 Season (Win Totals, Rookie of the Year, MVP, Division Winners, AFC, NFC, Super Bowl & More)
The NFL season kicks off tonight in the same stadium that the previous one ended in, as the L.A. Rams celebrate their Super Bowl championship back at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against the Buffalo Bills.
Over the past 207 days between the Super Bowl and today, the BetSided crew has been working on all the different ways to bet on the upcoming NFL season. Now that it's set to commence, here's all of our favorite picks and predictions for the 2022 season, including win totals, division odds, and of course, AFC, NFC and Super Bowl picks.
To cap it off, of the thousands NFL prop bets available on the board, we each highlighted a favorite of ours to include at the very end.
Here's to you, football. We've missed you!
2022 NFL Win Total Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- BEN HEISLER: Indianapolis Colts OVER 9.5 Wins (-160)
- IAIN MACMILLAN: Atlanta Falcons OVER 4.5 Wins (-120)
- PETER DEWEY: Kansas City Chiefs OVER 10.5 Wins (-115)
- DONNAVAN SMOOT: New York Giants UNDER 7.5 Regular Season Wins (-145)
- REED WALLACH: Washington Commanders UNDER 8.5 Wins (-170)
- JOE SUMMERS: Kansas City Chiefs OVER 10.5 Wins (-115)
2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- HEISLER: Romeo Doubs (+1400)
- MACMILLAN: Skyy Moore (+1200)
- DEWEY: Dameon Pierce (+900)
- SMOOT: Dameon Pierce (+900)
- WALLACH: Romeo Doubs (+1400)
- SUMMERS: Dameon Pierce (+900)
2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- HEISLER: George Karlaftis (+2000)
- MACMILLAN: Quay Walker (+1600)
- DEWEY: Derek Stingley Jr (+1200)
- SMOOT: Aidan Hutchinson (+450)
- WALLACH: Travon Walker (+1200)
- SUMMERS: Ahmad Gardner (+1400)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- HEISLER: Christian McCaffrey (+2500)
- MACMILLAN: Justin Jefferson (+1400)
- DEWEY: Lamar Jackson (+2200)
- SMOOT: Justin Herbert (+2500)
- WALLACH: Kirk Cousins (+15000)
- SUMMERS: Jonathan Taylor (+1000)
NFL Defensive Player of the Year Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- HEISLER: Rashan Gary (+3000)
- MACMILLAN: Nick Bosa (+1000)
- DEWEY: Aaron Donald (+900)
- SMOOT: Aaron Donald (+900)
- WALLACH: Nick Bosa (+1000)
- SUMMERS: T.J. Watt (+800)
NFL MVP Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
- HEISLER: Justin Herbert (+900)
- MACMILLAN: Matt Ryan (+4000)
- DEWEY: Lamar Jackson (+2000)
- SMOOT: Justin Herbert (+900)
- WALLACH: Lamar Jackson (+2000)
- SUMMERS: Patrick Mahomes (+800)
NFL Division Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
NFC East
- HEISLER: Eagles (+130)
- MACMILLAN: Eagles (+130)
- DEWEY: Cowboys (+150)
- SMOOT: Eagles (+130)
- WALLACH: Eagles (+130)
- SUMMERS: Eagles (+130)
NFC North
- HEISLER: Packers (-155)
- MACMILLAN: Packers (-155)
- DEWEY: Packers (-155)
- SMOOT: Packers (-155)
- WALLACH: Vikings (+240)
- SUMMERS: Packers (-155)
NFC West
- HEISLER: 49ers (+165)
- MACMILLAN: Rams (+125)
- DEWEY: Rams (+125)
- SMOOT: 49ers (+165)
- WALLACH: Rams (+125)
- SUMMERS: Rams (+125)
NFC South
- HEISLER: Saints (+300)
- MACMILLAN: Buccaneers (-230)
- DEWEY: Buccaneers (-230)
- SMOOT: Buccaneers (-230)
- WALLACH: Buccaneers (-230)
- SUMMERS: Buccaneers (-230)
AFC East
- HEISLER: Bills (-230)
- MACMILLAN: Bills (-230)
- DEWEY: Bills (-230)
- SMOOT: Bills (-230)
- WALLACH: Bills (-230)
- SUMMERS: Bills (-230)
AFC North
- HEISLER: Ravens (+145)
- MACMILLAN: Bengals (+165)
- DEWEY: Ravens (+145)
- SMOOT: Ravens (+145)
- WALLACH: Ravens (+145)
- SUMMERS: Ravens (+145)
AFC West
- HEISLER: Chargers (+220)
- MACMILLAN: Chargers (+220)
- DEWEY: Chiefs (+165)
- SMOOT: Chargers (+220)
- WALLACH: Chiefs (+165)
- SUMMERS: Chiefs (+165)
AFC South
- HEISLER: Colts (-140)
- MACMILLAN: Colts (-140)
- DEWEY: Colts (-140)
- SMOOT: Colts (-140)
- WALLACH: Jaguars (+750)
- SUMMERS: Colts (-140)
2022 AFC Odds, Picks and Best Bets
HEISLER: BILLS (+350)
After watching one of the most improbable back-and-forths in the final two minutes of a playoff game we may ever see, the Bills finally take the next step in their Super Bowl quest.
Josh Allen is the consensus MVP favorite, their offense is stacked, versatile and built to last, and their defense will be lethal once Tre'Davious White returns.
The Bills have rightfully earned their status as AFC (and Super Bowl) favorites.
MACMILLAN: COLTS (+1200)
Matt Ryan is the most underrated QB in the history of the NFL, and he's exactly what the Colts need to become a contender. Now with a good defense, good offensive line, one of the best running backs in the league in Jonathan Taylor, and a reliable QB in Ryan, the sky is the limit.
DEWEY: CHIEFS (+500)
What more can I say about Mahomes and the Chiefs?
This team finds itself in the AFC title game every year, and the defense should be much improved compared to the 2021 season. As long as Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs are going to be competing for Super Bowl titles.
SMOOT: CHIEFS (+500)
Yes the Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill. Who cares? They have Patrick Mahomes and have been to the conference championship game every season he’s been the starter. The Chiefs are no longer about to be forced to play “safe” offense because teams are scared of the deep ball. We’re going to see a version of Mahomes that we haven’t seen in over a year.
Kansas City will treat the regular season as a year-long audition for a wide receiver one and will be able to have the offense humming by then. As long as the defense isn’t historically bad, trust Mahomes.
WALLACH: RAVENS (+950)
After a year full of injuries around and including Lamar Jackson, I think we see Baltimore stabilize and get over the hump with No. 8 under center. I can see the AFC West beating up on itself and I still have some questions that need to be answered with the Bills and if Josh Allen can put together a full season without any letdown spots (remember that stinker against the Jaguars last season).
Baltimore is healthy, has a system in place and Jackson proves he is a superstar worthy of a contract that says it, eventually taking his team to the Super Bowl.
SUMMERS: CHIEFS (+500)
Patrick Mahomes passed every test of his young career with flying colors except for one: last year’s AFC Championship collapse. With a much-improved defense and perhaps the NFL’s best offensive line, Mahomes will respond in emphatic fashion to prove the AFC still runs through Kansas City.
2022 NFC Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
HEISLER: PACKERS (+500)
The Bears fan in me just shakes my head in disgust, but in a wide-open NFC, Green Bay has been the most consistent of the bunch.
Rodgers will miss Davante Adams early on, but their run game will bruise the hell out of the competition in the early going as the back-to-back MVP builds chemistry with my eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year pick in Romeo Doubs and the rest of his new receiving crew.
Oh, and the defense has a chance to be the best in the NFL. It's gross, but Green Bay's the team to beat.
MACMILLAN: RAMS (+500)
The Rams are somehow being underrated this season, despite being defending Super Bowl Champions. Sure they lost Von Miller and Robert Woods, but they made up for it by signing Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson.
They'll be a force to be reckoned with once again.
DEWEY: RAMS (+500)
It’s really hard to get back to the Super Bowl in the NFL, but if any team has the talent, it's the Rams. An elite defense anchored by Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald combined with an offense that added Allen Robinson II in the offseason should be enough to get the Rams over the top in the NFC.
Oh, and by the way, they have arguably the best coach in the NFL as well.
SMOOT: RAMS (+500)
The fan in me wanted to go with the Eagles here, but the Rams are just too complete.
They have a defense with three future Hall of Famers on it, the best wide receiver in football, a top 10 quarterback and one of the best offensive minds in the game.
I don’t think I can say that for anyone else in the NFC.
WALLACH: BUCCANEERS (+340)
The NFC is wide open this season with a ton of vulnerable favorites, making this an incredibly tough call. There are questions all over and the roster may not hold up, but defensively, Tampa Bay still has the goods to hold off any team.
I'll take the Buccaneers to weather the storm and for Brady to get back to the big game one last time.
SUMMERS: EAGLES (+1000)
A different team won the NFC each of the last eight years, and the Eagles’ incredible offseason leaves them poised to make it nine straight.
The defense is stacked, the offensive line is among the NFL’s best, and AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert give dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts stellar options to help break through.
2022 Super Bowl Odds, Picks, and Best Bets
HEISLER: BILLS (+600)
The Bills may not end up being the team with the best record at the end of the season, but they're the best team in the NFL top-to-bottom.
Their defense was tops in the NFL in Football Outsider's DVOA Ratings, and their offense got better nearly everywhere across the board. Where are the flaws when White returns as their top corner?
State Farm Stadium should have a doozy of a matchup when the Packers and Bills square off, but it's the consensus favorite Buffalo holding up the Lombardi trophy by the time the clock strikes zero.
MACMILLAN: COLTS (+2200)
We will finally get to see Matt Ryan lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy, as he had deserved throughout his career.
Remember how the Rams signed Matt Stafford and then went on to win a Super Bowl last year? We're going to see the same thing this year but with Ryan and the Colts.
DEWEY: CHIEFS (+1000)
Super Bowl windows don’t stay open forever, but I think this is one of the more complete teams the Chiefs have put together around Mahomes.
He’s going to need some receivers to step up, but Kansas City will be as battle tested as any team, and I think that helps it capture another Super Bowl in the Andy Reid era
SMOOT: CHIEFS (+1000)
It’s Patrick Mahomes who will come out on top as the league anoints Josh Allen and the Bills as the next ones up.
Mahomes always puts his team in a position to win, and he’ll do it again this season. Simple.
WALLACH: RAVENS (+2000)
Lamar Jackson proved last year that he can play in high-scoring games and can make the necessary passes, but the Ravens were gutted by injuries all season.
Now, Baltimore puts it all together in a tough AFC and hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
SUMMERS: CHIEFS (+1000)
An angry, focused Patrick Mahomes behind the best roster he’s ever played with? That’s a nightmare for the rest of the league. Mahomes is the generation’s best quarterback and he’ll give Kansas City its second ring in four seasons.
Best NFL Picks (Top Futures Bets for 2022)
HEISLER: JARED GOFF OVER 3600.5 PASSING YARDS (-112)
How about a Jared Goff prop to get you jacked up and ready for the season, huh?
Goff's numbers are set to go back towards his days in Los Angeles where over his final four seasons, he averaged 4,270.5 passing yards. New offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's been empowered to open up the offense far more than what we saw under Anthony Lynn a season ago, before head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling.
With even more weapons, and multiple pass-catching running backs in the mix, I think Goff will soar pass this pedestrian total of 3600.5
MACMILLAN: FALCONS OVER 4.5 WINS (-120)
I don't think the Falcons are actually going to be a playoff team, but I think this win total is way too low.
They have talented pass catchers in Kyle Pitts and Drake London. They also have a fantastic defensive secondary with AJ Terrell and Casey Heyward. Those players will be enough to win a few games, not to mention Marcus Mariota is a sneaky "Comeback Player of the Year" Candidate.
DEWEY: COOPER KUPP MOST RECEPTIONS (+450)
Yes, this is a square play, but it’s the right play if you want to back a Cooper Kupp prop this season.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP made 145 catches last season on 191 targets, which was 22 more catches than the next closest player. The difference between Kupp and the No. 3 player in receptions last season, Tyreek Hill, was 34 receptions!
Kupp is easily Matthew Stafford’s favorite target, and I think this is a crazy value for him at +450 to come close to repeating last season’s output
SMOOT: STEELERS OVER 7.5 WINS (-105)
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season and now the line allows him to have one and still be considered a success.
The Steelers have a better quarterback than what they had last season and still have playmakers on defense. Don’t expect this to be the year of the Steelers’ downfall.
WALLACH: VIKINGS TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS (-120)
Minnesota's offense is set for an explosion this season with former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell taking over.
While the defense has some concerns, I expect Minnesota to beat up on the two inferior teams in the division (Lions and Bears) and take a step forward in a watered down NFC. The Packers are not as strong as they were last season with questions in the passing game and the NFC West, who the Vikings play this season, isn't as deep as it was with Russell Wilson moving to the AFC and the Cardinals primed for a step back.
Minnesota has too much talent to miss the postseason again.
SUMMERS: CHIEFS OVER 10.5 WINS (-115)
The Chiefs won at least 12 games every single year Patrick Mahomes has been the quarterback. Dating back to 2015, the only time Kansas City didn’t clear this prop was Alex Smith’s final year as the starter (2017) and the franchise still won 10 games.
Don’t let the difficult schedule fool you – Mahomes is reclaiming his crown this year and giving Kansas City a fifth-consecutive 12+ win season.