With the 2021 NFL draft in the books, the focus now turns to the upcoming season and, for those lucky teams, a shot at Super Bowl LVI.
However, when it comes to the Washington Football Team, the possibility of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at year’s end is a longshot.
A very long longshot.
This past week, the WFT took well-regarded University of Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis with its first pick in the NFL draft. Second-round pick Samuel Cosmi, an offensive tackle from the University of Texas, and University of Minnesota cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, a third-round pick, could be shrewd additions to a team that won a surprise NFC East title in 2020.
Still, even after a draft that earned Washington stellar grades from major media outlets, there’s little optimism among oddsmakers when it comes to Super Bowl betting.
As of Monday, the post-NFL draft odds have the WFT up to +6,600 (66-1) to win the 2022 Super Bowl. Only seven of the other 31 NFL teams face longer odds to win an NFL championship.
Super Bowl LVI odds for Washington Football Team
With a meager 7-9 record but one of the best defenses in the NFL, Washington cinched up a division title last season. The team ultimately suffered a first-round loss in the playoffs to the Bucs, the eventual Super Bowl champions.
For the WFT, it was a turbulent year, on and off the field. At the quarterback position alone, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins Jr., Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen all took snaps.
Offseason addition and veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick could provide some stability during the upcoming season. Despite his veteran presence, though, oddsmakers aren’t high on Washington’s chances this coming season.
Most Virginia online sportsbooks have +5,000 odds for the WFT to win the next Super Bowl, which takes place Feb. 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. However, BetMGM offers the biggest potential payout, with +6,600 odds for the Washington Football Team.
With those odds, a winning $10 bet on Washington to win the Super Bowl would earn you a net profit of $660.
Here’s how all seven active VA sports betting operators have set WFT betting futures:
| To win Super Bowl LVI | To win NFC | To win NFC East | To make playoffs (yes/no) | Wins total (over/under) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | +6600 | +3000 | +300 | n/a | 8 (-130/+110) |
| BetRivers | +5000 | +2200 | +275 | +154/-190 | 8 (-139/+115) |
| DraftKings | +5000 | +2200 | +275 | +154/-190 | 8 (-139/+115) |
| FanDuel | +5000 | +2700 | +270 | n/a | n/a |
| Unibet | +5000 | +2200 | +275 | +154/-190 | 8 (-139/+115) |
| WilliamHill | +5000 | +2500 | +275 | +160/-190 | 8 (-135/+115) |
| WynnBET | +5500 | +2500 | +225 | n/a | n/a |
As you can see, the sportsbooks also offer other futures bets for the WFT and other NFL teams.
Other NFL futures beyond Super Bowl LVI
In addition to Super Bowl 56, bettors can wager on the Washington Football Team with other NFL futures.
Here’s a rundown of those bets:
- Odds to win the NFC
- To win the NFC East
- To make the playoffs
- Wins total
All of them are pretty straightforward.
Washington has the second-shortest odds (+300 at BetMGM) to win the NFC East this season. The Dallas Cowboys are the favorites, and they’re available in the +100 to +115 range at most sportsbooks. However, BetRivers has “America’s Team” at +130 to win the division. They’re followed by the New York Giants (+310 to +500) and Philadelphia Eagles (+425 to +600).
As for an NFC conference title, the WFT are long shots there too. BetMGM has the biggest potential payoff with +3000 odds. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+350), Green Bay Packers (+550) and Los Angeles Rams (+550) are the NFC favorites at that sportsbook.
Additionally, you can wager on the WFT to make the playoffs with a simple yes-no bet. Your best odds for a “yes” wager are +160 at William Hill.
Another popular NFL futures bet type is a season-wins total. Oddsmakers set a projected wins total for each NFL team, and bettors predict whether the final total will be higher or lower. Currently, Washington is predicted to go 8-8, with the “over 8 wins” at -130 at BetMGM and “under 8 wins” at +115 at DraftKings VA, Unibet VA, Caesars VA and BetRivers VA.
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Other NFL futures of note
How are the region’s other favorite NFL teams shaping up for the 2021-2022 season? Let’s take a quick look at the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans following the NFL draft:
Baltimore Ravens
- 2020 recap: 11-5 (second in AFC North), lost to Buffalo Bills in divisional round of playoffs
- Top 2021 NFL draft picks: No. 27 Rashod Bateman (WR, Minnesota), No. 31 Odafe Oweh (OLB, Penn State), No. 94 Ben Cleveland (G, Georgia)
- Odds to win Super Bowl: +1500 (WynnBET, BetRivers, DraftKings and Unibet)
- Odds to win AFC: +700 (WynnBET)
- AFC North odds: Baltimore Ravens (+120), Cleveland Browns (+150), Pittsburgh Steelers (+400) and Cincinnati Bengals (+2,000) at DraftKings
- Season outlook: Baltimore, always a Draft Day juggernaut, made the most of its two first-round draft picks and looks poised for a successful 2021-2022 campaign. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and QB Lamar Jackson will look to lead the Ravens to a double-digit wins total for the fourth straight season as preseason AFC North favorites.
Carolina Panthers
- 2020 recap: 5-11 (third in NFC South)
- Top 2021 NFL draft picks: No. 8 Jaycee Horn (CB, South Carolina CB), No. 59 Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR, LSU), No. 70 Brady Christensen (OT, BYU)
- Odds to win Super Bowl: +7000 (FanDuel)
- Odds to win NFC: +3400 (FanDuel)
- NFC South odds: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-170), New Orleans Saints (+270), Atlanta Falcons (+700) and Carolina Panthers (+1,200) at FanDuel
- Season outlook: After a rough year that included a 2-9 skid to end the 2020 season, Carolina earned praise for its 2021 draft class. However, it could take a while for head coach Matt Rhule to turn that talent on paper into wins on the field. Thus, Carolina is the longest shot to win an NFC South title this year.
Tennessee Titans
- 2020 recap: 11-5 (first in AFC South), lost to Baltimore Ravens in wild card round of playoffs
- Top 2021 NFL draft picks: No. 22 Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech), No. 53 Dillon Radunz (OT, North Dakota State), No. 92 Monty Rice (LB, Georgia)
- Odds to win Super Bowl: +4,000 (BetMGM and WynnBET)
- Odds to win AFC: +2,000 (BetMGM)
- AFC South odds: Indianapolis Colts (+100), Tennessee Titans (+125), Jacksonville Jaguars (+750) and Houston Texans (+2200) at Unibet
- Season outlook: With an embarrassing loss to the Ravens in the first round of the 2020 playoffs, the Titans’ season ended on a rough note. However, after the team’s 2020 draft earned mostly positive reviews, expectations remain high for head coach Mike Vrabel, QB Ryan Tannehill and standout RB Derrick Henry heading into the 2021 season.
