Our best bets for the upcoming season include the Raiders to finish bottom of their division, Atlanta to surpass expectations and the Vikings to struggle.
The excitement is building ahead of the 2024 NFL campaign, which starts on Thursday.
After months of waiting, fans can now look forward to a thrilling five months of action, and it is usually at this time of the year when punters make some bold predictions about their teams.
The Kansas City Chiefs start the season as the defending champions, and we take a look at some outright selections for the year ahead.
AFC West – Las Vegas Raiders to finish 4th
7/4
The Las Vegas Raiders showed plenty of heart last season to finish second in the AFC West.
Josh McDaniels was sacked in October after a 3-5 start before Antonio Pierce stepped in and guided them to an 8-9 record.
Both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos struggled in 2023, but the Chargers are now under the stewardship of Jim Harbaugh and are expected to kick on.
The Broncos have a new quarterback in Bo Nix, and coach Sean Payton should get the best out of him.
Pearce has Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell as his quarterbacks, with the former named as the starter, but there’s a lack of quality within their offence.
Wide receiver Davante Adams may get traded for some extra capital ahead of the 2025 draft, and the signs are that the Raiders could be vulnerable.
Atlanta Falcons over 9.5 wins
4/6
Last season was a frustrating campaign for the Falcons, but many put the blame on coach Arthur Smith, who has since been fired.
Despite having some incredible prospects within his offence, Smith was generally reserved, so it is promising to see Raheem Morris now at the helm.
Morris has worked under both Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay in the past, and he is expected to bring the best out of his players.
Kirk Cousins is the new QB in town. Although he is coming off an Achilles injury, he should bring the best out of Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Minnesota Vikings under 6.5 wins
1200/1000
Minnesota Vikings fans are likely to be dreading the prospect of the 2024 season, with a tough schedule and injuries already wreaking havoc.
Regular backup quarterback Sam Darnold is going to get the chance to shine in 2024, with recent draft pickup J.J. McCarthy out for the season.
Jordan Addison is an injury doubt to start the season, while T.J. Hockenson will miss at least the first four matches.
If Darnold goes down, the Vikings are picking up the scraps, and there are doubts he can even perform to a high level in the league.
Minnesota may be in for a rebuild year, which will be tough to take for star receiver Justin Jefferson.
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