Sports Betting Futures Odds: Football is Here, and Here to Stay

by Ricky Dimon - 9/10/2015

Quarterback Cardale Jones of the Ohio State Buckeyes

The 2015 college football season is underway and the NFL follows suit tonight with a showdown between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. That means we have football on our hands for the next four months-almost exactly to the day. Who will have a better rookie season: Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota? Will the Ohio State Buckeyes dominate the college landscape both as a team and individually?

Odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook unless otherwise indicated .

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+450) - The No. 1 overall pick is not in a bad situation with the Buccaneers. He has a pair of stellar receivers at his disposal in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson in addition to running back Doug Martin. A soft schedule includes two dates with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, NFC South rivals with bad defenses.

Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (+450) - In an offense devoid of huge stars, Cooper may be the go-to guy in Oakland. Derek Carr is a capable quarterback whose other weapons include little more than Latavius Murray at running back and Michael Crabtree at the other receiver position.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (+550) - Mariota looked very good in the preseason after some first-game jitters against Atlanta. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner is the undisputed starter in Tennessee, where offense has never exactly been a juggernaut. Mariota will deserve high praise if he turns things around.

Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers (+800) - Interestingly, only one running back (Eddie Lacy of the Green Bay Packers in 2013) has won this award since the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson in 2007. If Gordon gets enough touches, though, he could do some serious damage in San Diego's Philip Rivers-led offense.

Ohio State

To win College Football Playoff (+250) - The Buckeyes caught fire late last season to win the National Championship, and they return just about everyone. Two of the top Heisman Trophy contenders-Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott-are on the team, and even Braxton Miller looks like one of college football's best players after his performance against Virginia Tech.

Perfect season (+350) - Ohio State won 13 games in a row last season after losing to Virginia Tech. Thus, the Buckeyes' winning streak is now at 14 following Monday night's 42-24 drubbing of the Hokies. That may have been the their toughest test for quite some time-perhaps all the way until a Nov. 21 home showdown against Big Ten rival Michigan State.

Cardale Jones to win Heisman Trophy (+800) - Jones was named the starting quarterback over J.T. Barrett at the last minute, and he did not disappoint against Virginia Tech. The junior threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 99 yards and a score. USC quarterback Cody Kessler is a +900 second choice. Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag.

Buckeyes (-41) vs. Hawaii - Ohio State beat Virginia Tech by 18 points despite actually trailing by three at halftime. Urban Meyer's squad has already hit its stride, and that is bad news for Hawaii, which beat visiting Colorado 28-20 last week. The Rainbow Warriors are coming off a 2014 campaign in which they went 4-9, including 3-5 in the Mountain West.

FedEx Cup (odds provided by Sportsbook)

Jordan Spieth (+175) - Spieth, who won two majors in 2015 and basically came within a few shots of the calendar-year Grand Slam, has been a disaster since finishing runner-up at the PGA Championship. Out of the blue, he opened the FedEx Cup Playoffs with two straight missed cuts at The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Jason Day (+200) - The good news for both Spieth and Jason Day is that they have clinched being in the top five going into this month's finale, the Tour Championship. That is crucial because those five control their own destiny in Atlanta; win the tournament and you win the FedEx Cup, no matter what anyone else does.

Rickie Fowler (+1000) - Nobody is hotter than Day right now (won the PGA Championship and The Barclays, 12^th at the Deutsche Bank), but Fowler is heating up. After missing the cut at The Barclays, the world No. 5 triumphed at the Deutsche Bank with consistently stellar rounds of 67, 67, 67, and 68. Fowler finished T4 at last year's BMW Championship, the next playoff stop.

Rory McIlroy (+1000) - Whereas Spieth and Day are locks for the top five heading into Atlanta and Fowler has all but clinched, McIlory is 17^th in the FedEx Cup standings and must win the BMW in two weeks in order to reach the top five. He finished T8 with Spieth at that event in 2014. Henrik Stenson is also +1000 to win the cup.

Barclays Premier League

Manchester City (-200) - The Sky Blues are 4-0 and have not allowed a single goal so far this season. Perhaps even better news for City is that its rivals are floundering. Neither Arsenal, Chelsea, nor Manchester is in the top four on the EPL table right now.

Arsenal (+450) - Arsenal is 2-1-1 through four matches, leaving it tied for fifth in the standings with Manchester United and Liverpool. The Gunners have given up only three goals, but they have also found the back of the net a mere three times.

Chelsea (+550) - The defending champions are off to a disastrous 1-2-1 start, relegating them to a tie for 11^th place on the table with the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City, and West Brom. Chelsea most recently lost to Crystal Palace on Aug. 29.

Manchester United (+1400) - Man U is a traditionally slow starter and the 2015-16 campaign appears to be no exception. The Reds are not in a complete funk, but their 2-1-1 record is nothing more than pedestrian. The fell to Swansea City 2-1 on Aug. 30.

Doc's Sports is offering $60 worth of member's picks absolutely free - no obligation, no sales people - you don't even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit any way you please for any handicapper and any sport on Doc's Sports Advisory Board list of expert sports handicappers. Click here for more details and take advantage of this free $60 picks credit today .

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 2:30 PM
Expert:	Tony George
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping