by Nelly's Sports
Friday, Dec 31, 2021AFC FUTURES SNAPSHOT
With two weeks left in the NFL regular season the playoff picture still has plenty of question marks. Here is a look at the futures market in the AFC with a few possible opportunities to consider this week.
OVERVALUED: BUFFALO BILLS +350
Few teams have seen as large of swings in the futures market this season as Buffalo has spent time as the Super Bowl favorite but also not long ago was on the edge of the AFC playoff picture. Buffalo is back in front of the AFC East but this team has not resembled the team that had a huge run last season to make the AFC Championship. While Buffalo beat Kansas City earlier this season they are unlikely to catch the Chiefs in the race for the #1 spot and will need to go through a formidable foe in the AFC playoffs to get another shot at Kansas City, with the Chiefs looking like a much better team than in October. Buffalo has great scoring numbers but that figure was inflated with shutout wins over Miami and Houston vs. backup quarterbacks, accounting for a 75-point swing.
UNDERVALUED: TENNESSEE TITANS +900
The Titans look likely to finish as the #2 seed in the AFC but this team has the best record in the NFL vs. quality teams, going 7-2 vs. the top half of the league while 6-1 vs. the league’s top 10. The return of A.J. Brown is incredibly impactful for the potential of the offense and this team was in the AFC Championship just two years ago as there is strong playoff experience for the Titans coaching staff and several key players. The Titans have featured a strong home field edge at 6-2 and while they would certainly be an underdog in Kansas City if these teams met in the AFC Championship, the Titans turned in a dominant 27-3 win vs. the Chiefs earlier this season and are a squad that continues to beat its suspect season statistics to lurk as a complete squad that can win against more conventionally impressive teams.
LONG SHOT – Los Angeles Chargers +2200
The Week 16 loss to Houston was a devastating result for the Chargers that for the moment knocked the team out of the AFC field. The AFC North teams are going to knock each other out in some fashion however while Miami has a very difficult closing path as there is still a good opportunity for Los Angeles to make the playoffs, closing the season with winnable division games against Denver and Las Vegas. The Chargers have played the league’s #5 schedule, a tougher path than likely any team that will make the playoffs this season. In his second season Justin Herbert has been one of the top rated quarterbacks in the NFL and with a win and a tough overtime loss vs. Kansas City, the Chargers are likely the team best suited to knock off the defending AFC champions if they get the opportunity.
