3 NFL Futures Bets to Make Before the 2026 Season Begins

The best time of the year in American sports is upon us.

The new NFL season begins Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and Patriots, and 15 more Week 1 games will follow over the next several days.

So that leaves only a few more days to get your preseason futures wagers in. Here are three that we like the most:

Denver Broncos to win the AFC West (+210, DraftKings)

The Kansas City Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes, but there’s no denying the overall quality of the roster has decreased in the last couple seasons

The LA Chargers still have one the NFL’s most consistent coaches in Jim Harbaugh and one of its more underrated quarterbacks in Justin Herbert. But they’ll be challenged to make up for the departure of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is now coaching the Ravens.

That makes the Broncos the smart choice here under veteran NFL coach Sean Payton, blossoming quarterback Bo Nix and the conference’s deepest roster.

Yes, the Broncos are playing a first-place schedule after winning the division last year, but that doesn’t mean as much as it usually might given the unusual state of last year’s AFC playoff field. Back them to do it again here at very sensible +210 odds and an implied 32.3% probability.

Lamar Jackson to pass for more than 3,500 yards (+135, DraftKings)

Jackson has only accomplished this feat three times, but that includes two of the last three seasons. He would’ve been in that neighborhood in 2026 had he played the full season, despite a campaign most considered beneath his usual standard.

Health is always the risk with Jackson in this kind of wager. Offsetting that to a certain extent is the fact that he’s always played well in his first season with a new co-ordinator. This will be his third, with Declan Doyle calling the plays for first-year head coach Jesse Minter.

Jackson threw for 3,127 yards in his first year under Greg Roman and 3,678 in his first year under Todd Monken. And he’s shown more consistency as a passer over the last few seasons overall. So this is a sensible wager at +135 odds and an implied 43% probability, even if the overall track record isn’t quite there.

Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl (+2500, FanDuel)

After turning the Bears around in Year 1, there’s every reason to believe Ben Johnson has at least a puncher’s chance to lead Chicago to its first Super Bowl victory in 41 years in his second season.

Yes, last year’s +22 turnover margin was freakishly good and probably not sustainable. But there’s also the feeling that Johnson has only scratched the surface in unearthing what third-year QB Caleb Williams might be able to accomplish.

They won’t sneak up on anyone in Year 2 of their partnership, but they will benefit from a lot more offseason stability and familiarity with Johnson’s offense. At +2500 odds and an implied 4.0% probability, this is a speculative wager worth sprinkling on.