National Football League

Bet on Patriots to have worst record, Damar Hamlin for Comeback Player of the Year

Published Sep. 6, 2024 10:58 a.m. ET

The time is finally here!

The NFL season kicked off Thursday night with a thriller between the Kansas Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens — a rematch of last year's AFC title game. With one game down, we've now got 271 to go.

Thirty-one fan bases still have an undefeated team to root for, and optimism is at an all-time high throughout the league.

For some teams, that optimism will wane quickly. Others will wrap up Week 1 believing that they're still contenders to win it all.

With this in mind, let’s take one last look at some futures bets worth making before the full slate of games kicks off Sunday.

Patriots — To Have Worst Record (+300 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Do I get points for creativity here? Not necessarily because this one is fairly self-explanatory. But getting triple your money back if it hits is tempting enough to pull the trigger.

The days of the Super Bowl going through Foxborough are long over, as this is a total rebuild.

The Pats are not projected to be favored in any game this season, but they are only a field-goal underdog in Week 2 against the Seahawks.

Most of their games feature them as nearly a touchdown 'dog. They are so bad, they don’t even feel comfortable playing rookie quarterback Drake Maye, despite many reports that he outplayed announced starter Jacoby Brissett.

After decades of dominating the league, the Patriots are a good bet to have the first pick next April.

Who will win the AFC East: Buffalo Bills or New York Jets?

Damar Hamlin — Comeback Player of the Year (+3500 at DraftKings)

Full disclosure: I got in on Hamlin for Comeback Player of the Year when he was 100-1. I gave that number out as a futures bet that I liked, and the folks who follow me were able to take advantage of it. You can now find Hamlin at 35-1.

But I'd still back him.

There was much consternation over who deserved this award last year, as Hamlin lost a close vote to Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.

Sure, Hamlin’s story was inspiring. But coming off a cardiac arrest, he didn’t really play much last year and that probably cost him the award. However, Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced this week that Hamlin will be starting at safety, so now the path is there to give him what many feel he deserved last year.

Damar will now have a full year as a starter for a Buffalo team that will probably make the playoffs. I loved this bet on Hamlin for Comeback Player of the Year at 100-1, and I still like it at +3500.

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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