NFL Futures to Bet Entering Week 8: Are the Chiefs a Value as Super Bowl Favorites?

Betting futures is a fun way to follow the NFL season.

From NFL awards markets to Super Bowl odds to NFL division odds, there are plenty of markets to dig into.

Heading into this week, which NFL futures bets are on my radar at FanDuel Sportsbook? Let's dive in.

Note: All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Best NFL Futures Bets Before Week 8

Kansas City Chiefs to Win the Super Bowl (+500)

Yeah, it's the Kansas City Chiefs again.

After losing their first two games, the Chiefs have been trending up, winning four of five, with the only loss being a last-minute defeat at the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the two games since that Jacksonville loss, the Chiefs picked up an impressive 31-17 win over the Detroit Lions before mauling the Las Vegas Raiders 31-0 in a game that wasn't as close as the 31-point margin suggests.

At the moment, Kansas City looks like an extremely well-rounded team without many holes, and Patrick Mahomes is playing MVP-level football. That sounds like a good recipe to me.

As soon as Xavier Worthy got back into the lineup, the Chiefs' offense looked a lot better, and the return of Rashee Rice went pretty darn well last week as Rice scored twice and caught seven passes. The Chiefs' run game is still pretty blah outside of Mahomes' scrambling ability, but the Chiefs actually rank third in schedule-adjusted rush offense, per our numbers. Plus, I'm not sure how much their RB situation matters now that Mahomes has Rice, Worthy and Travis Kelce all healthy.

Defensively, the Chiefs are darn good, too, ranking eighth in overall D and sixth versus the pass.

KC looks like the best team in the NFL, and while they're the current Super Bowl favorites, I think they're a slight value.

Ricky Pearsall to Win Comeback Player of the Year (+8000)

This market is always a tricky one to navigate. For example, Daniel Jones (+650) has the fourth-shortest odds to win the award. What's he coming back from? The New York Giants? Being bad?

Regardless, I think the uncertainty with this market makes it an interesting one to bet, and with Ricky Pearsall missing time lately due to an injury, this might be a good time to buy in on him to win the award.

Let's start with the on-field argument. Pearsall was cooking this year prior to a knee injury, going for 81.8 receiving yards per game through four contests. He was operating as the San Francisco 49ers' number-one wideout, and that's a very valuable position because San Fran -- despite a lot of injuries on offense (and everywhere else, really) -- is leading the NFL in passing yards per game (271.3).

If Pearsall can get back on the field soon -- potentially a big if since he didn't practice last week -- and resume what he was doing pre-injury, he'll end up being a factor in this market.

On top of the on-field production, Pearsall's story -- as unfortunate as it is -- can help his cause.

While the majority of the contenders in this market are players coming back from a football-related injury, Pearsall is returning from something totally different -- getting shot last year. That makes him a unicorn in this market, and a player having a productive season after that kind of headline-grabbing off-field incident is the type of thing that could generate a lot of momentum for him when it comes to this award.

All in all, Dak Prescott (-105) is a deserving favorite in this market as he's balling out. But Pearsall at +8000 catches my eye, and I want to get in before he returns from his knee injury.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.