2015 Season Preview: What Should NFL Betting Fans Expect?

If you’re an NFL betting aficionado that is looking to gather as much information as possible in order to maximize your chances of having a successful 2015 wagering season, then you’re in luck! You see, thanks to this mybookie.ag original betting breakdown on just what NFL gridiron gamblers across the globe can expect over the course of the upcoming 2015 regular season, you’re going to be well-prepared in your efforts to cash in early and often on the best – and worst – ATS teams in the league. If I’ve said it once over my lengthy career as one of the world’s best sports handicappers, I’ve said it a thousand times. When it comes to cashing in on NFL football, there’s more than one way to skin that old proverbial cat! Wagering on consistent ATS losers can be and often is, just as profitable as betting on consistent winners. I have highlighted a handful of teams that I expect to fall into both categories in 2015.

Let’s get started with a look at the final 2014 ATS rankings.

1. Arizona 11-5 2. Indianapolis 10-5-1 3. Dallas 10-6 4. Kansas City 10-6 5. Cleveland 9-5-2 6. Minnesota 10-6 7. Green Bay 9-6-1 8. Seattle 9-6-1 9. Houston 9-6-1 10. New England 9-7 11. Pittsburgh 9-7 12. Philadelphia 9-7 13. Buffalo  9-7 14. Cincinnati 8-7-1 15. Denver 8-8 16. Carolina 8-8 17. Oakland 8-8 18. Baltimore 7-8-1 19. Detroit 7-9 20. San Diego 7-9 21. Miami 7-9 22. Atlanta 7-9 23. N.Y. Giants 7-9 24. St. Louis 7-9 25. Chicago 7-9 26. Tampa Bay 7-9 27. San Francisco 6-9-1 28. N.Y. Jets 6-9-1 29. Jacksonville 6-9-1 30. New Orleans 6-10 31. Washington 5-11 32. Tennessee 3-12-1 Now, let’s take a look handful of teams that I expect to take be among the best ATS teams in the league over the course of the 2015 NFL regular season.

Forward March!

Some teams take a step forward in the ATS standing because they become more competitive than anyone thought they would be while others simply fall on the bad fortune of their opponents and others still, simply ‘get lucky’ more often than not. I expect each of the following teams to record wining ATS records in 2015 for various reasons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+20000)

With the Buccaneers almost assuredly taking Florida State’s Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick and Lovie Smith another year into molding the Bucs into his kind of team, I expect Tampa Bay to take a big leap forward in wins to a likely seven-win season while also increasing their ATS win total by a deuce. 2015 Prediction: (7-9 SU, 10-6 ATS).  

Oakland Raiders (+30000)

Go ahead and laugh if you want, but I like the Raiders to at least, double their straight-up (SU) win total from last season while also increasing their ATS win total to at least double digits. Second-year signal-caller Derek Carr looked like the real deal as a rookie last season and I love the addition of head coach Jack Del Rio. I like the Raiders to improve almost immediately in 2015. 2015 Prediction: (6-10 SU, 10-6 ATS)  

Washington Redskins (+15000)

Call me crazy, but I genuinely believe that athletically-gifted quarterback Robert Griffith III is going to look and play more like Seattle Seahawks superstar Russell Wilson and less like…um, the old RG3. I like the Skins to take a positive step forward in 2015 to let’s say, seven or eight SU wins and nine ATS victories. 2015 Prediction: (7-9 SU, 9-7 ATS)

“Niles Paul: I’m excited to see RG3 prove the naysayers wrong! by SiriusXM NFL Radio http://t.co/AHZ3hk7B47 — NFL (@NFLRR) March 14, 2015

 

New York Jets (+15000)

The Jets will look to build on their four-win campaign in 2014 in Rex Ryan’s swan song season, but I love their hiring of former Cardinals’ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as his replacement and I believe he is going to bring about positive change, even if it’s in a small increment. I like the Jets to cover the spread nine times in 2015 because of Bowles’ defensive genius, which led the Cardinals to a pair of consecutive 11-5 ATS finishes the last two seasons, 2015 Prediction: (6-10 U, 10-16 ATS)  

Houston Texans (+4500)

The Houston Texans finished the 2014 season tied for seventh with an impressive 9-6-1 ATS record that looks like it could be hard to duplicate on the surface.  However, I expect the Texans to still be listed as underdogs in a lot of games in 2015 and I think they’ll cover at least as many times as they did in 2014 mostly because I know what kind of coach Bill O’Brien is. I like the Texans to reach at least nine SU and ATS wins and possibly double digits in each category. 2015 Prediction: (9-7 SU, 9-7 ATS)  

Defense Can Make the Difference in the Betting Odds!

Some teams cover the spread at a high rate because they have the ability to consistently shut down their overmatched opponents en route to victory, even if they aren’t the highlight-reel making kind of wins football fans love.

Buffalo Bills (+7500)

The Buffalo Bill may have lost head coach Doug Marrone in his surprising decision to bolt for a ‘quasi’ offensive coordinator’s job in Jacksonville, but that’s okay. I believe trash-talking former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is going to come into Buffalo and give the Bills a big boost in his first season at the helm. It’s quite conceivable that Ryan will take a Bills team that not only went 9-7 against-the-spread (ATS) last season, but one whose defense flourished into one of the best in the league (fourth overall) and could very well improve under Ryan’s direction. I think a 10-6 ATS campaign in 2015 sounds about right for the new-look Bills. 2015 Prediction: (10-6 SU, 10-6 ATS)  

Carolina Panthers (+5000)

2015 Prediction: Carolina went 8-8 ATS last season in what was undoubtedly a down year for the Panthers on the field (7-8-1 SU). However, Cam Newton and Ron Rivera also led the NFC South 2015 Super Bowl hopefuls to winning ATS marks in each of the previous two seasons. I love Carolina’s ATS consistency and believe they have the kind of defense that will lead to a likely 9-7 ATS finish at the least in 2015, particularly seeing as how the Panthers have the fifth easiest schedule on the board for 2015. 2015 Prediction: (9-7 SU, 10-6 ATS)  

One Step Forward…Two Steps Backwards

I expect each and every one of these teams to either take a slight step backwards – or a huge one – in 2015. Not only am I expecting each of these teams to take a step backwards when it comes to covering the spread in 2015, but I’m also going to explain why.

San Francisco 49ers (+2500)

The 49ers fell to 6-9-1 ATS in Jim Harbaugh’s final season at the helm after going 11-5 and 9-7 ATS in each of the previous two seasons. To put it mildly, I just don’t see the Niners being as good under Jim Tomsula as they ever were under Harbaugh. 2015 Prediction: (7-9 SU, 6-10 ATS)  

Arizona Cardinals (+4000)

I love Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, but I think the loss of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is going to cost the Cards at least one or two SU and ATS wins…it’s that simple! 2015 Prediction: (9-7 SU, 8-8 ATS)    

Dallas Cowboys (+2000)

I’ll get right to the point by saying that I believe Tony Romo and the ‘Boys overachieved a bit in going 12-4 SU and 10-6 ATS in 2014. Dallas will face tougher odds in 2015 and their accompanying ATS record will bear that out. 2015 Prediction: (10-6 SU, 8-8 ATS)  

Extra, Extra…Read All About ‘Em!

Did you know that only four NFL teams have recorded winning ATS records in each of the last three seasons? Well, it’s true and now you know it too! Minnesota, Seattle and Cincinnati join one other franchise as being the most consistent ATS winners over the last three seasons. Who’s the No. 1 ATS team in all the land?

The Big Kahunas!

Indianapolis Colts (+2000) The Colts are the only team in the league to have posted three consecutive double-digit win totals over the last trio of NFL campaigns. Indianapolis finished second in 2014 with a stellar 10-5-1 ATS mark one year after going 10-6 ATS to finish fourth. The Colts also tied three other teams for the best ATS mark in the league in 2012. So, there you have it, my expert ATS highlights to watch out for over the course of the 2015 season.