We are on the opposite side of the NFL Draft so rosters are getting finalized before we have the schedule officially announced next week. Today, we are going to look at the consensus odds for some teams that missed the postseason last year and have the best chances to make the 2022-23 NFL Playoffs. Remember that consensus odds mean that it is an accumulation of all sportsbooks and odds can differ the closer we get to the regular season. 

We have the Preakness 2022 race coming up for all you horse racing fans and that is one of the benchmarks to getting back to NFL action. One way to make sure you get the correct horse is to see what former winners had in common with one another. Make sure to win some money there so you can throw down some extra cash on these futures. 

New Orleans Saints (+144)

I do not understand the hate that the New Orleans Saints are getting from the betting markets here. Before quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL on Halloween, the Saints were 5-2 and looked impressive. Winston is back under center and should be able to start Week 1 while having a complement of weapons with running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Michael Thomas, and rookie wide receiver Chris Olave. 

The defense also improved as they signed safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye to help bolster this tough secondary. Dennis Allen will be the head coach and did not look overwhelmed when he took over for Sean Payton last season during Payton’s COVID stint. 

The entire NFC South will face the AFC North so that will be a battle and they are tied for seventh with the Las Vegas Raiders for the seventh toughest strength of schedule as their opponents combined for 152-136-1 (.528 winning percentage) last season. I like the Saints here to recapture a playoff spot so go with this bet.

The Preakness is coming up and looking at the past winners definitely gives you an edge on what to look for so make sure to check this out to be ahead of the game. 

Denver Broncos (-152)

The AFC West is loaded with most of the teams adding some impactful players during the offseason but I really am liking this Denver Broncos team. It all matters about the quarterback and adding Russell Wilson is going to make this team great. They have three very solid wide receivers with Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, and Courtland Sutton as well as having Javonte Williams breaking tackles in the backfield, which will allow Russ to cook. 

The defense should also step up a bit more with Randy Gregory being added in the linebacker core to essentially replace Von Miller’s role. They also have a solid kicker in Brandon McManus that will dominate, especially in home games. Denver has the 15th hardest schedule as their opponents combined for a 147-142-0 record (.509 winning percentage). 

They have a pretty easy schedule as they face off against the Jets, Seahawks, Texans, and Jaguars this season so that should be four wins right there before divisional play factors in. Wilson should use this as a chance to prove his worth and will get a nice MVP case out of it as well.

The Preakness is coming up and understanding what past winners have done can really help us out in predicting the winner of this year’s race. 

Indianapolis Colts (-150)

This feels like I’m cheating but the Cleveland Browns do not have a line as of this writing available. Indianapolis was one win away from making the playoffs but they lost Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and failed to make it in. As a result, they traded away quarterback Carson Wentz and brought in former NFL MVP veteran quarterback Matt Ryan to lead the offense. 

This team is pretty stacked with talent offensively as they have Michael Pittman, Paris Campbell, and rookie Alec Pierce out wide as well as Johnathan Taylor in the backfield. The offensive line is pretty strong as the left side consists of Matt Pryor and Quenton Nelson while rookie Bernhard Raimann is looking for a spot. 

The defense is solid as well with the addition of cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Indy has the sixth-easiest strength of schedule as their opponents combined for a 135-153-1 record (.469 winning percentage). They play the NFC East this season so that should add some wins to their ledger as well. All in all, the Colts feel like a solid lock to make the playoffs after a disappointing end to last season.