The summer is winding down, which means it’s time for the NFL to ramp back up.
If you’ve been in hibernation mode on the football front, fear not. This is a one-stop shop to get you caught up before the tidal wave of NFL action arrives.
Check out our NFL preview and betting primer for the 2025 season, which highlights key offseason moves, notable injuries, the top rookies, last year’s betting trends and more.
NFL preview: Notable offseason moves
From a sheer brand-name perspective, the team with the splashiest offseason was the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wide receiver George Pickens is out after three seasons of under-delivering on ample promise. In comes Aaron Rodgers for presumably one last ride, along with DK Metcalf to fill Pickens’ WR1 role.
As a team collectively, the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings might’ve had the most successful summers. Philly retained its most notable free agent in linebacker Zack Baun, while rewarding Saquon Barkley and two offensive linemen with extensions.
The Vikings, meanwhile, brought in two d-line studs (Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen), gave new contracts to three key pieces in the secondary and added running back Jordan Mason. They’ve got high hopes as the J.J. McCarthy era begins in earnest.
A late addition to the party: The Green Bay Packers, who traded for star defensive end Micah Parsons a week before the season kicks off and then made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
- Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension with Green Bay. Of that, $136 million is fully guaranteed.
- The 26-year-old is a two-time All-Pro and has been selected to the Pro Bowl all four seasons of his career.
All in all, here were the biggest names that changed teams:
Trades
- WR DK Metcalf, Steelers
- WR George Pickens, Cowboys
- WR Deebo Samuel, Commanders
- QB Geno Smith, Raiders
- S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dolphins
- CB Jalen Ramsey, Steelers
- DE Micah Parsons, Packers
Signings
- WR Davante Adams, Rams
- WR Stefon Diggs, Patriots
- QB Aaron Rodgers, Steelers
- QB Sam Darnold, Seahawks
- QB Justin Fields, Jets
- TE Evan Engram, Broncos
NFL preview: 4 key matchups in September
Fresh storylines emerge every season, but there are already plenty for bettors to sink their teeth into in Weeks 1-3. Here’s a handful of key games to look out for:
Week 1: Ravens vs. Bills (Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8:20 p.m. ET)
The first Sunday Night Football showdown of the season is overloaded with star power.
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, last year’s top two MVP contenders (and two top contenders again this year), square off in a rematch of a 2024 divisional round matchup.
The Ravens’ failed two-point conversion in the closing seconds allowed Allen’s Bills to eke out a 27-25 win in that one.
Week 1: Steelers vs. Jets (Sunday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. ET)
What does Aaron Rodgers have left? After a divorce from the Jets (and a quiet offseason marriage in his personal life), it’s time to find out.
The 41-year-old could be in the swan song of his Hall of Fame career, and it begins with Pittsburgh as a road favourite against the team that dumped him.
It’s a bit of a wife swap situation, actually, given that ex-Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is now under centre for the Jets. Revenge game scenarios abound.
Key NFL schedule dates: Weeks 2 and 3
Week 2: Eagles vs. Chiefs (Sunday, Sept. 14 at 4:25 p.m. ET)
A Super Bowl rematch kind of speaks for itself, doesn’t it?
The Chiefs were one win shy of an unprecedented three-peat, but the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in blowout fashion to ensure that wouldn’t happen.
Most of the stars are still around, including Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley, and this could be a preview for another championship battle down the road.
After all, Philly and KC are two of the top four contenders on the Super Bowl odds leaderboard.
Week 3: Lions vs. Ravens (Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET)
The Lions had a franchise-best 15 wins last season but flopped in their first playoff game. Despite losing both coordinators, Detroit is still a team with crystallized championship aspirations.
So, too, are the Ravens, who know something about stellar regular seasons followed by playoff disappointments.
Detroit and Baltimore ranked first and third, respectively, in scoring offence last year.
Preseason injuries
Injuries are an unfortunate part of the NFL.
As of Aug. 26, here are some key names to keep an eye on entering the season:
- RB Joe Mixon (foot/ankle), Texans: Mixon will begin the season on the reserve/non-football injury list, which means he’ll miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Nick Chubb will likely take the bulk of Houston’s backfield touches in his absence, with Dameon Pierce and rookie Woody Marks in the mix as well.
- WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee), 49ers: San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Aug. 25 that Week 6 is a possible target for Aiyuk to return. With Deebo Samuel now out of the picture in SF, Aiyuk — a 1,300-yard receiver in 2023 — is a crucial weapon in the 49ers’ passing game.
- WR Chris Godwin (ankle), Buccaneers: Godwin is unlikely to play until October, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but Tampa Bay still plans to carry him on the 53-man roster entering Week 1. As a member of the active roster, Godwin will be eligible to practice in September even if he’s unable to suit up for games.
- RB Tyjae Spears (ankle), Titans: Tennessee placed Spears on injured reserve, which will keep him sidelined until at least Week 5. Spears, who suffered a high ankle sprain in a preseason game, was expected to compete for a timeshare role with teammate Tony Pollard.
To keep up with the latest injury designations and estimated return dates, check out our NFL injury report, powered by RotoWire.
NFL preview: Top rookies for 2025
RB Ashton Jeanty, Raiders: It’s difficult for a collegiate player who’s not in a Power Four conference to win the Heisman Trophy, but Jeanty gave it his best go.
After an FBS-best 2,601 yards in 14 games, the Boise State product looks to give Las Vegas another elite weapon to pair with Brock Bowers.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers: Year 1 for Xavier Legette didn’t blow anybody away, so the Panthers went back into the first round of the NFL draft to try again for a star wideout.
Enter the 6-foot-5 McMillan, who figures to create tons of size mismatches on Sundays. In his junior year with Arizona, McMillan paced the Big 12 in receiving yards (1,319 in 12 games).
WR Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers: Egbuka is Ohio State’s all-time leading receiver, and that’s saying something when you consider all the NFL-calibre players who came through Columbus.
Tampa Bay was a bit of a surprise landing spot, but with second-year wideout Jalen McMillan dealing with a neck injury — and Godwin likely out until October — Egbuka can make an instant splash.
QB Cam Ward, Titans: The 2025 draft class wasn’t considered QB-rich, but Ward was clearly the cream of the crop.
The Heisman finalist chucked 39 passing TDs in 13 games for Miami (FL), and now there’s hope that he can turn Tennessee in the right direction. For a team with +415 odds to make the playoffs, though, it likely won’t all come together right away.
NFL preview: Futures focus
AFC division favourites: Ravens (-155) | Bills (-286) | Texans (-106) | Chiefs (-122)
NFC division favourites: Lions (+135) | Eagles (-157) | Buccaneers (-106) | 49ers (+150)
- Every favourite is the incumbent division winner except the 49ers, who went 6-11 to finish last in the NFC West in 2024. According to Warren Sharp, the 49ers have the NFL’s easiest strength of schedule this year.
- The Chiefs have won the AFC West nine years in a row, which is two shy of the Patriots’ NFL record for consecutive division titles (11, 2009-19).
Highest projected win totals: Bills (12.5) | Ravens (11.5) | Eagles (11.5) | Chiefs (11.5)
Lowest projected win totals: Saints (4.5) | Browns (5.5) | Giants (5.5)
- Five teams finished with 13+ wins last season, but only the Bills (13-4 in ’24) are expected to run that back. Buffalo has the fifth-easiest schedule, per Warren Sharp.
- The Giants went 3-14 last year to finish in a three-way tie for the NFL’s worst record. This season, 10 of New York’s 17 games come against teams that reached the 2024 playoffs.
MVP favourites: Lamar Jackson (+550) | Joe Burrow (+600) | Josh Allen (+600) | Patrick Mahomes (+700) | Jayden Daniels (+900)
- Jackson and Mahomes are both multi-time MVP winners. Allen, meanwhile, is the reigning MVP after a tight race last season. Buffalo’s QB had 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 22.
- There’s a significant odds drop-off after the top five, as Jalen Hurts is next on the board at 20-to-1.
NFL futures predictions & notes
- Top Super Bowl picks
- Super Bowl betting favourites
- Long shot predictions
- MVP contenders
- Week 1 schedule & odds
Super Bowl contenders
The favourites: Eagles (+650) | Ravens (+700) | Bills (+700) | Chiefs (+800) | Lions (+1,100)
- Unsurprisingly, the reigning champion Eagles are alone atop the Super Bowl odds leaderboard. Their dominant 2024 season included a +68 point differential across four playoff games. Philly lost some players from its No. 1 total defence, including sack leader Josh Sweat, but the team as a whole retained the vast majority of its stars. A title repeat is well within reach.
- KC, the three-time reigning AFC champion, has an air of inevitability to it. In Mahomes’ seven seasons as a starter, the team has three Super Bowls and seven conference championship appearances.
- Right in the mix are the Bills and Ravens, whose MVP-calibre quarterbacks will always give them a chance. Baltimore also has the ageless wonder Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 and 16 TDs last season.
- Last among the top five is the Lions, a team that last won a championship in the pre-Super Bowl era. Injuries were a devastating factor for Detroit last year, and with every offensive weapon back in the fold, a healthier squad could go the distance.
NFL preview: 2024 betting trends
To help you get set for a season’s worth of betting, let’s look back on some key trends from last season:
- Best straight-up records as underdogs: Eagles (4-0), Vikings (3-1)
- Most SU underdog wins: Commanders, Steelers, Rams, Seahawks, Cowboys, Panthers (five each)
- Unbeaten home teams: Chiefs and Bills (both 10-0)
- Unbeaten road team: Lions (8-0) … three teams finished with seven road wins (Commanders, Chiefs, Seahawks)
- Best ATS records: Lions, Chargers, Broncos (all 12-6 ATS)
- Worst ATS records: Titans (2-15 ATS), Browns (4-13 ATS)
- Most overs: Panthers (13-4, 76.5%), Ravens (13-5-1, 72.2%)
- Most unders: Giants (11-6, 64.7%), Texans (12-7, 63.2%)
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.