Next season’s NFL odds are already out, with the projected favorites being the same as last year’s odds and the 2018 Super Bowl winners, the New Orleans Saints, being at the top of them once again. While it’s difficult to predict which teams will reach the playoffs or compete in the Super Bowl next year, there are always those few teams that stand out above the rest and look like they could contend. Check out here for top NFL teams to watch in 2024, and check NFL odds, along with brief explanations of why each team made this list.
1. Baltimore Ravens
Source: post-gazette.com
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They play at M&T Bank Stadium and are members of the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division.
The team was founded in 1996 and is currently owned by Stephen Bisciotti and coached by John Harbaugh. The Ravens have won two Super Bowl Championships, and 13 Division Championships (three AFC Central (division), six AFC North (division), four AFC West (division), and one American Football Conference Championship). They are also famous for their defense known as the Raven’s Defense.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Source: buccaneers.com
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team on the rise and have many factors that will contribute to future success. They have a young quarterback, Jameis Winston, who has plenty of time left to grow. The Bucs have talented players like Mike Evans and Desean Jackson, who are two of the best receivers in the league. They also have Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy who are two of the best defensive lineman in the league. With these types of players at their disposal, it’s easy to see why they’re one of the top teams to keep an eye on this season!
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Source: sbnation.com
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional football team from the United States. The team is a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Kansas City Chiefs were founded on January 9, 1963, by Lamar Hunt and were one of two AFL teams admitted into the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger that took place at the end of that season. The merger was agreed to in 1966 and became effective for 1970.
The team’s general manager is Brett Veach, who replaced John Dorsey in 2018. Their head coach is Andy Reid. They have won three Super Bowl titles, which ties them with six other teams for the fifth most all-time with eight NFL championships overall (including another won by an earlier incarnation of the franchise), and are second only to Pittsburgh with four pre-Super Bowl era titles.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Source: 49ers.com
The San Francisco 49ers are one of the youngest teams in the league, with an average age of 25.6 years. The team has a lot of room to grow, but they have already shown some promise and will be a force for years to come. With Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm and no more distractions from the locker room, expect this team to make some serious noise next season.
The future looks bright for the 49ers, who are just starting to scratch their potential after undergoing so many changes over the past few seasons. With their youth on their side, these guys have time to get it right, which is why they’re one of our favorite teams to watch going into next year’s season.
5. Green Bay Packers
Source: packersnews.com
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) and are the third-oldest franchise in the National Football League (NFL). The Packers compete against 31 other teams that make up the NFL. Founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun, this is one of only 12 NFL franchises to have not experienced bankruptcy and is also one of two remaining publicly owned teams (the other being the Pittsburgh Steelers). The team plays its home games at Lambeau Field. Today, we will be focusing on this team and its stats.
6. New Orleans Saints
Source: neworleanssaints.com
The New Orleans Saints have been all over the news this season. With a new quarterback and head coach, the Saints have been able to shake off their early season woes and are now looking like Super Bowl contenders. Alvin Kamara has emerged as one of the top running backs in the league, and Drew Brees is still playing at an elite level. The defense is also playing up to its potential, with Kenny Vaccaro leading a secondary that has made huge strides this year. It’s going to be tough for any team to take down the Saints if they keep playing this well.
7. Los Angeles Rams
Source: nytimes.com
The Los Angeles Rams were one of the worst teams in the league last season. They only won four games and were easily the worst team in their division. That being said, they still have some of the best players on their roster. Jared Goff is only entering his third year as a starting quarterback, but he’s already shown flashes of brilliance at times. Todd Gurley had a great rookie season back in 2015 and has been one to watch ever since. Plus, if they can find a way to keep Aaron Donald around for at least another couple of seasons, they may be able to turn things around quickly. This might not be an easy task though because Donald is arguably the best defensive player in football right now and could command a hefty contract this offseason if he doesn’t sign before then.
Conclusion
The New England Patriots, who are one of the most dominant teams in the league, have fallen to the bottom of the pack. They lost a lot of talent this offseason and will be hard-pressed to make it back to the top. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs are also two teams that were on top last season but will surely start losing games as they lose their star players. They may not necessarily be contenders next year, but they’re still worth watching.
