According to ProFootballTalk, there is an “extremely small” chance that there will be no NFL season in 2020. It goes without saying that 2020 will be the strangest football season in history. The NFL has done a very poor job of informing the players and the fans on what the 2020 season will look like. Will there be fans at games? Will players have to wear masks? Will the Washington football team have jerseys in time for Week 1?? With all the questions surrounding the NFL season, it does appear that there in fact will be a full 16 game season. So today, we’re checking out the Vegas win projections for all 16 NFC teams and deciding if we’d bet the over or under.

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NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

2019 Record: 5-10-1
2020 Vegas Win Total: 7.5

Fun Fact: Kyler Murray joined Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III as the only rookie quarterbacks to throw for 3,500 passing yards and rush for 500 yards. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Simmons, expectations are very high in Arizona. The Cardinals had pretty much the season you’d expect for a team that had the 1st overall pick in the 2019 Draft. With a new head coach and a new franchise QB, the Cardinals marginally improved upon their 3-13 season the year prior. Unfortunately, for the Cardinals, they play in the toughest division in football. Having to play Seattle, San Fran, and the Rams twice a year is no cake walk. The problem for me when it comes to the Cards is that their defense was absolutely atrocious last year. The Cards defense allowed the most yards of any team in the NFL last season. Outside of the Devon Kennard signing, they didn’t add much on that side of the ball this offseason. Another thing that I fear with this team is that I don’t think Vance Joseph is a good enough coordinator to figure out how to get the most out of Isaiah Simmons. Simmons is such a unique and rare talent, and I just do not trust Joseph to use him correctly, but only time will tell. The Cardinals offense is gonna be fun to watch, but we just know the defense is going to be terrible again. Arizona is going to be in a ton of shootouts next year. In my opinion, the Cards are about two years away, I think they will make a leap…just not this season.

My Record Prediction: 7-9
Over or Under 7.5 wins: Slight Under     How’d We Do: ❌

 

 

Los Angeles Rams

2019 Record: 9-7
2020 Vegas Win Total: 8

After putting up just 3 points in Super Bowl LIII, the Rams had a case of Super Bowl hangover in 2019 and wound up missing the playoffs. Coming into 2020, the Rams have the worst salary cap situation in the NFL…BY FAR. The Rams are paying 1/5 of their teams 2020 salary cap to players who are no longer on the roster. Yes, you read that correctly. To add insult to injury, they didn’t have a 1st round pick this year, and they don’t have one in 2021 either. This is the understatement of the article, but 2020 is a BIG year for Los Angeles. Sean McVay has done an incredible job thus far, but 2020 is going to be his toughest task yet. If they can’t get back to playoff form in 2020, this team has some serious questions to ask themselves. Such questions like: Why the hell did we pay Todd Gurley all that money? Is Jared Goff really THE guy? Wait, when is our next first round pick again? I believe in McVay and his staff to get the most out of this team, but on paper this roster is just not that talented. When looking at Vegas’ win total of 8 for them, I think the sportsbooks nailed it right on the head. That’s exactly the number I thought it would be, so I would just stay away from this one.

My Record Prediction: 8-8
Over or Under 8 Wins: Stay Away                   How’d We Do: ↔️

 

 

 

Seattle Seahawk

2019 Record: 11-5
2020 Vegas Win Total: 9

Another year, another 10 win season for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks. Unfortunately, due to some questionable officiating, they were knocked out of the Divisional Round by Green Bay and company. With the season Lamar Jackson had, Russell Wilson’s 2019 campaign kinda got swept under the rug. The MVP race last year was close until about Week 9, then Lamar just went nuts. Wilson has always been overlooked throughout his career, and 2019 was no different. It just never seems to matter what weapons he has around him or how good his protection is, Russell Wilson is leading his team to the playoffs every single year. Wilson has never missed a game in his career despite being extremely undersized, and the Seahawks have won at least 9 games in every year he’s been a pro. Coincidentally, that’s exactly where Vegas sees the Seahawks in 2020: a 9-7 team. To me that seems a little low, but Vegas is factoring in just how tough the NFC West is. To me, as long as Russell Wilson is under center the Seahawks are a Super Bowl contender. I trust Wilson to win a close game against any of Kyler Murray, Jimmy Garoppollo, and Jerad Goff. Gimme the over.

My Record Prediction: 10-6
Over or Under 9 Wins: Slight Over         How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

 

San Francisco 49ers

2019 Record: 13-3
2020 Vegas Win Total: 10.5

On a podcast before the start of the 2018-19 season I said, “I think the 49ers could be playing in the Super Bowl this year” then Jimmy G tore his ACL and the 49ers season and my prediction went up in smoke. Fast forward to the very next year and hey they actually did! Unfortunately, they suffered one of the worst 4th quarter choke jobs in Super Bowl history. San Fran was up 20-10 with six minutes left and still somehow managed to still lose by double figures. Oh well, there’s always next year! Vegas believes the 49ers will be back there again as they come in tied with New Orleans for the highest projected win total in the NFC. The niners have a great running back, an incredible front seven, and the best tight end in the game. The one glaring question staring them in the face is: How good really is Jimmy G? The fact of the matter is that Garoppolo has only started 26 career games. Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold all have more career starts than him, so it would be fair to say that we have a better guess on how good those guys are than Jimmy, who’s entering his 7th season. It’s no secret that 2020 is a big year for Jimmy. He has an offensive genius as a head coach, excellent weapons, and the best defense in the NFC. How Jimmy G performs next year will no doubt be a top headline in 2020, we’ll see how he handles the pressure. When you look at the Vegas total of 10.5, it’s about what you’d expect for the defending NFC champs. However, winning 12+ games in the NFL is just so incredibly hard. The 49ers 2020 schedule is one of the toughest in the NFL. They have Seattle twice, the Rams twice, at New Orleans, at Chicago, vs. Philly, vs. Buffalo, vs. Green Bay, and vs. Dallas. The sky’s the limit for the 49ers and their defense, but it’s gonna be no easy task to get there. I could see them taking a step back in 2020.

My Prediction: 10-6
Over or Under 10.5 Wins: Slight Under    How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

 

NFC North

Detroit Lions

2019 Record: 3-12-1
2020 Vegas Win Total: 6.5

The Lions 2019 season is just a classic example that September football is basically a glorified preseason. Detroit started off 2-0-1, then went on to lose 12 of their last 13 games, including nine straight. If I had to make a “first coach fired” bet, Matt Patricia is my runaway favorite. In his first two seasons as head coach, the Lions are an abysmal 9-22-1. To add some gasoline to the dumpster fire that is the Detroit Lions, prior to hiring Patricia, they fired Jim Caldwell after a 9-7 season. The Lion’s 2019 season got derailed after Matthew Stafford missed his first game after 136 consecutive starts. When looking at their depth chart, this team has some talent. Kenny Galloday, Marvin Jones, Kerryon Johnson, Trey Flowers, Jamie Collins, Jeff Okudah, Danny Shelton, Reggie Ragland, all solid players at marquee positions. The problem for me is their secondary. The Lions defense gave up the most passing yards in the NFL last season and they lost Darius Slay this offseason! Vegas is clocking them in at 6.5 wins, and on paper this should be an 8 or 9 win team. However, there is no way in hell I can pick the over when Matt Patricia is still at the reigns, especially in this division. The schedule makers didn’t do the Lions any favors either, as they have a very tough schedule as well. They’ve got Green Bay twice, Minnesota twice, @Tennessee, vs. New Orleans, vs. Tampa Bay, and vs. Houston. I’ll take the under for Detroit in 2020.

My Prediction: 6-10
Over or Under 6.5 Wins: Slight Under        How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

 

Chicago Bears

2019 Record: 8-8
2020 Vegas Win Total: 8

The Bears record of 8-8 last year doesn’t do it justice…this team was TERRIBLE in 2019. After a surprise season in 2018, the Bears came into last season with Super Bowl aspirations and instead they fell flat on their faces. In week 8 against Philadelphia, the Bears had a total of 9 yards in the first half, including just ONE passing yard…yes, three feet of passing in the first half. Needless to say, this offense is not good. The Bears got a few cheap wins against the Giants, Lions, and the 3rd stringers of the Vikings in week 17 to doctor up their record a bit. This easily could have been a 5-11 team in 2019. If you put a gun to my head and said, “Pick an over or under for one NFC team in 2020 to bet on” the Bears would be the absolute last team I would choose for the upcoming season. I don’t know how many games Nick Foles will start, I didn’t like what I saw from David Montgomery last year, and you can’t trust Eddy Pineiro either! Normally I’m pretty good at predicting how a team will fair in the upcoming season, but I just don’t know what to make of the Bears in 2020. You could talk me into 6-10, you could convince me they’re going to win 11 games, I just don’t know. Hard stay away for me.

My Prediction: I Have No Fucking Idea
Over or Under 8 Wins: Hard Stay Away
How’d We Do: ↔️

 

 

Minnesota Vikings

2019 Record: 10-6
2020 Vegas Win Total: 9

He did it, he actually did it! Kirk Cousins finally got his first career playoff win on a walk-off touchdown to Kyle Rudolph in the Wild Card round last January. The Vikes then went on to get manhandled by the 49er defense in the Divisional Round, but overall a very solid season for Minnesota. When talking about “Super Bowl windows” the Vikings probably have the most confusing one out of any team in the NFC. The Vikings got shellacked this offseason, as they just had too many mouths to feed and couldn’t pay all of them. They lost Stefon Diggs, Linval Joseph, Everson Griffin, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Andrew Sendejo this winter. On the flip side, I really loved their draft. Minnesota had clear holes at WR, OT, and CB and used early round selections on Justin Jefferson, Jeff Gladney, and Ezra Cleveland to fill them. The reason their window is so flummoxing is that we just don’t know how productive their rookies are going to be. If these guys pop, the Viking’s window will stay open for at least a few more seasons. However if their rookie class busts, it might be time to start looking towards the future. When looking at their projected win total of 9, I think this team has a better shot to come up short in 2020 than making another playoff run. Not only that, but if something were to happen to Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion is not leading this team to the postseason. I like the under for Minnesota this year.

My Prediction: 7-9
Over or Under 9 Wins: Slight Under       How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

 

 

Green Bay Packers

2019 Record: 13-3
2020 Vegas Win Total: 9

Ohhhhhhhh boy do we have some drama brewing in Packerland. The Packers became the story of the 2020 Draft by trading up to select quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State. Aaron Rodgers weighed in by saying, “I’m not going to say I was thrilled by the pick.” Yeah, no shit. Yes, the Jordan Love pick was questionable for a team that was a game away from the Super Bowl last year, but my big concern was their second round pick A.J. Dillon. Aaron Jones had a monster 2019 season where he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Aaron Jones is one of the best backs in the league, not only that but Jamaal Williams(barring he gets cut) is one of the better RB2s in the NFL as well. So not only did the Packers waste a 1st rounder on a guy who wont see the field, but A.J. Dillon doesn’t deserve many reps either! By default, their first round pick was basically 3rd round TE Josiah Deguara out of Cincinnati. Considering that they didn’t have a 4th round pick either, this was one of the worst drafts I’ve ever seen a team have. With all that being said, Vegas’ O/U of 9 for them is one of the more confusing numbers on the board…it almost seems fishy. The big factor in Vegas’ decision making is that the Packers were an unsustainable 8-1 in one score games last season. However, Aaron Rodgers has been the king of the NFC North for a decade plus and I don’t see that changing in 2020. He has always destroyed the Bears, the Vikings, and Detroit. 9 wins is suspicious, but I gotta go over for the Packers this year.

My Prediction: 11-5
Over or Under 9 Wins: Hard Over          How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

NFC South

 

Carolina Panthers

2019 Record: 5-11
2020 Vegas Win Total: 5.5

If there was one team that I had to pick to throw away the 2020 season and attempt a 76ers style tank for Trevor Lawrence it would be Carolina. The NFL isn’t like the NBA, owners will always come out and say that they are going “all-in” for next season no matter what. However, after the signing of Teddy Bridgewater, it’s no secret what the Panthers are trying to do in 2020. Trevor Lawrence is a generational talent who has been compared to John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck. If I was a Carolina fan, I would be rooting against my team every single week of the 2020 season, I think he’s that special. If you can just stink for one year and throw away the season so you can have Trevor Lawrence under center for the next 15 years…DO IT. The Panthers defense gave up the most points in the NFC in 2019, and with Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Atlanta in their division, the Panthers have no shot in 2020. There is no shame in tanking, if Carolina is smart they will realize this and throw in the towel on the 2020 season. I’m pounding Carolina’s under.

My Prediction: 3-13
Over or Under 5.5 Wins: Hard Under        How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2019 record: 7-9
2020 Vegas Win Total: 10

Tom-pa Bay, Tom-pa Bay!! The Buccaneers made one of the biggest splashes in free agency history in 2020 and secured the GOAT as their signal caller for at least the next two years. Coming into the 2020 season, I think it’s pretty obvious that the Bucs are the most interesting team in the NFL. This team is just oozing with talent with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Devin White, Vita Vea, Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Tristan Wirfs, Ali Marpet, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, I mean my god! This team has a great coach, the best wide receiver duo in the league, and Tom Brady. Coincidentally, the one thing I fear with this team is…Tom Brady. We’ve seen Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Phillip Rivers absolutely fall off cliffs in their twilight years, like when it was over…it was OVER. I guess the one saving grace for Bucs fans is that Tom takes incredible care of his body, and he has stayed relatively upright over the last two seasons. Vegas is feeling a 10-6 season for Tampa Bay in 2020, and I’m buying into the hype. The weapons Tom has in TB are light years away compared to what he had in New England last year. Although 10 is a high number, I still love the over for Tampa in 2020. The Buccaneers are my pick to win the NFC South this year.

My Prediction: 12-4
Over or Under 10 Wins: Hard Over          How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

Atlanta Falcons

2019 Record: 7-9
2020 Vegas Win Total: 7.5

If you asked me, “Who do you think is the most mediocre team in the NFL?” Atlanta is definitely my answer, and Vegas thinks so too. The Falcons had a nightmare beginning to the 2019 season, as they got off to an awful 1-7 start to the year. They turned it around by December and finished at 7-9, but their Super Bowl window is closing, and it’s closing fast. Matt Ryan is now entering his age 35 season, and not getting any younger. With Tampa Bay and New Orleans in their division, I have serious doubts about their ceiling in 2020. The Falcons have a really tough start to their schedule as they play Seattle, Dallas, Green Bay, and Minnesota in four of their first six weeks. Add in the fact that they get Bucs twice, New Orleans twice, and the Chiefs, I think the Falcons could disappoint fans again in 2020. Atlanta just screams average to me. I’ll take a slight under on the Falcons this season, but Vegas hit this number right on the button.

My Prediction: 7-9
Over or Under 7.5 Wins: Slight Under   How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

New Orleans Saints

2019 Record: 13-3
2020 Vegas Win Total: 10.5

Man, Drew Brees and company just can not catch a break! Last year marked the 3rd straight season in which New Orleans lost a playoff game on the very last play of the game. There was the famous Stefon Diggs catch in 2018, Greg Zuerlein’s game-winning 57 yard FG in 2019, and then Kyle Rudolph’s walk-off touchdown last January. BRUTAL. Coming into 2020, this team is still very much intact. They still have one of the best RB/WR combos in the league, an O-line filled with Pro Bowlers, and an excellent secondary. Much like Tom Brady, I worry about the 41-year-old Brees. In 2019, Brees ranked 35th amongst quarterbacks in deep ball rate, according to PFF. He just refuses to throw the ball down field in his later years and that is worrisome. Add in the fact that Emmanuel Sanders and Michael Thomas both had some choice words for Drew after his National Anthem kneeling comments, it might be a trying year for Brees and the Saints in 2020. When looking at their O/U of 10.5, I just keep thinking like, when is this team going to show regression? When is Drew Brees going to finally fall off that cliff? When it comes to these futures bets, I tend to lean on the under, because it’s way easier to lose 12 games than it is to win 12 games. I think maybe this is the year that the Saints slide a little. Slight under.

My Prediction: 10-6
Going Over or Under 10.5 Wins: Slight Under                                                How’d We Do: ❌

 

 

 

NFC East

 

 

Washington TBD 

2019 Record: 3-13
2020 Vegas Win Total: 5.5

After years of backlash and with everything going on in America right now the Redskins finally decided to change their team name. What that name is, we’re not sure yet, but it won’t really matter as not many people will be tuning in to see this Washington team play. When discussing a team, the conversation always starts with the quarterback, and there are some serious question marks surrounding Dwayne Haskins. The sample size is very small, but Haskins gave fans no reason to believe that he is a franchise QB last season. Haskins had a 58% completion percentage, six fumbles, and he threw as many interceptions as he did touchdowns. Washington was dead last in PPG last year, they could just not move the ball when Haskins was under center. However, Washington didn’t do him any favors with the weapons they put around him. Outside of Terry McLaurin, there is just zip, zilch, nada on Haskins’ side of the ball. The one saving grace for this team, is that I think their defense is going to be nasty this year. With Chase Young, Ryan Kerrigan(barring he gets cut), Jonathon Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat, this could be one of the best defensive lines in football in 2020. Ron Rivera is an excellent coach, and it was pretty surprising that he chose the Washington job over gigs in Dallas, New York, and Cleveland. Washington is tied with Carolina for the lowest win total at 5.5, and I agree with Vegas. It doesn’t matter how great this defense is, I don’t believe in this offense to move the ball down field and score points. Washington is another “Tank for Trevor” team, I like the under for Washington this year.

My Prediction: 4-12
2020 Vegas Win Total: Hard Under         How’d We Do: ❌

 

 

 

New York Giants

2019 Record: 4-12
2020 Vegas Win Total: 6.5

The Eli Manning era is now over in New York, and thus the Daniel Jones era has begun. As pessimistic as I’ve been throughout the article, I have to say that I believe in Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones had a quietly excellent rookie season in 2019. 62% completion percentage, 3,027 passing yards, and 26 total touchdowns in just 12 starts. What I love about Jones is that he’s extremely mobile and can extend plays with his legs. Jones had a record of just 3-9, but this team had a ton of injuries to key guys like Saquon and Engram, the defense was atrocious, and his offensive line was one of the worst in all of football. I would really love to bet the over on the Giants, but I have no idea what to expect under new head coach Joe Judge. Judge spent the last eight years as a special teams and wide receivers coach on several Super Bowl winning teams. However, we’ve never seen him call plays, so I legitimately have no idea what to expect from him as a head coach. I’m not afraid to bet on a team with a new HC, but I’m just not betting on a coach who I haven’t seen call a game as a defensive or offensive coordinator. I’m staying away from the Giants this year.

My Prediction: 7-9
Over or Under 6.5 Wins: Stay Away       How’d We Do: ↔️

 

 

 

Dallas Cowboys

2019 Record: 8-8
2020 Vegas Win Total: 10

When looking at the talent on this roster, it’s honestly amazing that this team only won eight games last year. They have blue chip players in every position group on their roster, Jason Garrett deserved to be fired. Just like every year, expectations are high for the Cowboys coming into the 2020 season. Outside of Kansas City and Baltimore, I think the Cowboys have the most talented roster in the NFL top to bottom. One of the biggest stories of the offseason was how much is Dak Prescott going to get paid? I honestly can’t blame Jerry for still not wanting to pull the trigger and give Dak a huge contract. If I had to rank Dak amongst other NFL QBs, I’d say Prescott is probably like the 12th or 13th best QB in the league right now. What is Dak’s value in terms of a dollar amount? I have no idea and neither does Jerry Jones. Vegas already cooks in about one extra win for Dallas because fans love betting the over on the Cowboys, but I still like over 10 wins for them in 2020. This team is just too talented to not win at least double digit games. Dallas has some tough games on their schedule, but they will have four easy W’s against New York and Washington. Not only that, but I thought the Andy Dalton signing was really underrated too. If something were to happen to Dak, Dalton can ride the ship and lead this team to the playoffs as well. With the addition of CeeDee Lamb, this offense is going to be one of the best in all of football. I’m not the biggest Mike McCarthy fan, but the Cowboys roster is just too loaded. Dallas’ over is one of my favorite bets this year, this division is just so weak.

My Prediction: 12-4
Over or Under 10 Wins: Hard Over        How’d We Do: ❌

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles

2019 Record: 9-7
2020 Vegas Win Total: 9.5

Eagles fans have to be pulling their hair out in Philadelphia. The Eagles made the playoffs for a third straight year, but Carson Wentz has just three passing yards to show for it. At first, his injuries seemed fluky, but at a certain point it becomes a concerning trend. What’s even worse is that his injuries seem to happen at the worst possible times. He was injured in week 14 in 2017, week 12 in 2018, and in the first quarter of the Wild Card round last year. The Eagles finally said enough this offseason and took Jalen Hurts with their 2nd round pick. In all honesty, Wentz cannot be upset by the pick, he has given the Eagles no reason to believe he isn’t extremely injury prone(He also missed a full season at NDSU). When Wentz is on the field he’s one of the best QBs in the league, but Carson’s health is by far the biggest thing holding this team back. Coming into 2020, it should be business as usual in the city of brotherly love. They have a very talented roster, a great coach, and a relatively soft schedule. Philly should be a playoff team in 2020, it just all depends on if Wentz can stay healthy. Vegas nailed Philly’s O/U at 9.5 and I think this team will make the playoffs. However, I just can’t bet on Carson Wentz. Easy stay away for me.

My Prediction: 9-7
Over or Under 9.5 Wins: Slight Under      How’d We Do: ✅

 

 

Playoff Predictions

NFC West: Seahawks
NFC North: Packers
NFC South: Buccaneers
NFC East: Cowboys
Wild Card: Saints
Wild Card: Eagles
Wild Card: 49ers

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