7 awards bets to make at to start a football futures betting portfolio

Going into football season, betting on players to win awards is now every bit as popular as wagering on teams to win championships.

Ideally, serious bettors can build a portfolio with a handful of players in each category from when the odds posted months ago all the way through the season. The constant fluctuation in prices makes it imperative to buy in at the right time.

But it doesn’t help at all to share long-gone odds or even much to discuss who to target during the season. So, let’s assume we’re starting from scratch and find the best bet on the board in seven of the biggest awards categories heading into the start of the season.

Here’s where the value currently lies.

Heisman Trophy: Florida quarterback DJ Lagway at 25-to-1 (Circa Sports)

The sophomore former top national recruit might be the single most talented quarterback in the country, and the odds initially moved in a manner to reflect that reality.

Lagway got as low as 15-to-1 in the offseason, but his price has since shot back up with news of a calf injury to pair with a pre-existing shoulder concern. But Gators coach Billy Napier has downplayed the severity and declared Lagway as “day-to-day.”

At this long of a price on a player with this much talent, let’s take a risk and trust Napier is being truthful.

NFL Most Valuable Player: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at +550 (i.e. risking $100 to win $550) (Caesars/William Hill)

Controversy is still roaring over Bills quarterback Josh Allen edging Jackson for the NFL’s most prestigious honor a year ago in one of the closest races of all time.

Jackson, whom the same voting base slotted above Allen as a first-team All-Pro at the quarterback position, had the better statistical production. Allen was deemed more indispensable to his team.

Jackson, who’s just now entering the traditional prime for passers at 28 years old, will get the benefit of the doubt this time around if he maintains a similar level of play. He’s the best player in the NFL—at least in the regular season before Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes annually raises his game in the playoffs—so there’s no reason to expect a falloff.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year: Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase at 9-to-1 (Boyd Sports)

Running backs have won this award in back-to-back years—Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley last year after the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey in 2023—but it should usually be easier for a receiver to stand out. 

Chase goes into his fifth year battling with close friend and former Louisiana State teammate Justin Jefferson for the title as the best receiver in football. Jefferson already won this award, in 2022, and has a less reliable quarterback throwing to him in de facto rookie J.J. McCarthy to Chase’s Joe Burrow.

Chase won the receiving triple crown last year—leading the league in catches, touchdowns and yards—and may have deserved more consideration against Barkley. Like Jackson, getting passed over last season should help sway sentiment his way this year.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby at 16-to-1 (Boyd)

There’s never been a question if the face of the Raiders’ franchise was dominant enough to merit this award. The only concern was if the Raiders could win enough to earn him consideration.

Hopes are higher this year with new coach Pete Carroll. If Las Vegas breaks through, it’s going to be just as much for its defense as its offense—and Crosby is the one and only star on the unit.

His ascension stopping the run game is a major plus, as he can rack up as many tackles for losses as sacks. He doesn’t deserve to be favored over the likes of Dallas Cowboys counterpart Micah Parsons (who’s as low as 7-to-1) but the gap between Crosby and the top tier shouldn’t be this large.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward at 5-to-1 (Circa Sports)

It’s straight-up bizarre to see a No. 1 overall pick at the sport’s most important position available at this high of a price.

The hype on Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (available at as low as +250) is overshadowing the player who was the consensus top prospect in this year’s draft. Ward has his flaws, but his arm talent and athleticism also produces the kinds of highlights that should be inescapable.

Rookie quarterbacks used to struggle more, but the past two winners of this award—Washington’s Jayden Daniels last year and Houston’s C.J. Stroud in 2023—posted historic seasons immediately. If anyone’s going to continue the trend this year, it’s Ward.

Coach of the Year: Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen at 14-to-1 (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)

This is less a commentary on Coen’s head-coaching acumen, which remains unknown, than it is the situation he inherits in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars bottomed out last year with a 4-13 record despite being more around league average in terms of roster talent. A major improvement feels like a given, especially with Jacksonville in what might be the league’s worst division in the AFC South. 

Coen, known as a quarterback whisperer, is also bound to get a lot of the credit if Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence manages a bounce-back season.

Comeback Player of the Year: Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson at 3-to-1 (Caesars/William Hill)

The now third-year edge rusher was the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year six weeks into last season, when he went down with a grisly leg injury.

A lot of star players get hurt every year, but few are carted off the field with the future of their careers called into question after breaking their leg in two places. Against all odds, Hutchinson is reportedly dominating in Detroit during training camp less than a year later.

He could regain the form to get back into the Defensive Player of the Year running (where’s he’s as low as 7-to-1) but that’s a major ask. This award will be easier to nab with everyone inspired by his recovery as long as Hutchinson gets back to being a steady contributor.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.