NFL Betting: NFC Conference Odds

Following a strong draft and the surprise return of Rob Gronkowski, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to move up the NFC conference futures odds.

But while the Bucs may be rising, they still trail both the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints on the NFC odds at Bovada Sportsbook.

The reigning NFC champs, the 49ers, remain the conference favorites at +400. San Francisco has had a busy week, trading Matt Breida and Marquise Goodwin, and saying goodbye to the retiring Joe Staley. To replace Staley, they traded for Trent Williams, and with two first-round picks they grabbed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Niners slight NFC favorites over Saints, Bucs

Following the 49ers are the Saints at +500. New Orleans’ offseason has been all about quarterbacks. Drew Brees put retirement on hold, and Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston both signed and will be the backups. Maybe they’re getting some extra insurance in case Brees gets hurt again, like he did last year when he missed five games.

The Buccaneers show up next at +550. That’s up from +700 before the draft. The return of Gronkowski and the upgraded protection for Tom Brady with the selection of offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the draft has heightened the Buccaneers’ contender status.

Next a trio of teams, the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, check in at +1000. All three were at +900 a few weeks ago.

Odds suggest experts don’t love Packers’ draft strategy

The Packers’ small slide shouldn’t surprise the experts who were left puzzled by their draft strategy. Green Bay did not select a single receiver to help Aaron Rodgers and shocked everyone by drafting what could be his eventual replacement, quarterback Jordan Love.

While the Packers’ draft was panned, the Cowboys’ draft was lauded by many experts. Dallas snagged wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and cornerback Trevon Diggs, which should immediately help their passing attack and secondary. Maybe they’ll live up to the hype and make the playoffs this season.

Active Rams show biggest rise on oddsboard

The Eagles also made a puzzling move by drafting quarterback Jalen Hurts even though Carson Wentz is only 27 years old and is signed for four more seasons.

The team that saw the biggest rise on the NFC odds following the draft was the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams moved up to +1800 from +2400. Los Angeles had some holes to fill after cutting Todd Gurley and trading Brandin Cooks. They appear to have filled both in the draft with running back Cam Akers and wide receiver Van Jefferson.