2025-26 NFL Predictions & Super Bowl Picks
2025-26 NFL Regular Season Predictions - NFL Odds & 2025-26 Projections
The road to the Super Bowl is a long one. The American Football season is 18 weeks long and filled with plenty of obstacles on the way to the Super Bowl. Fortunately for fans, you can join Stake Sportsbook and participate in NFL betting as much or as little as you want during the season. But make sure you know everything you need to from our article before placing your first wager.
NFL & Super Bowl History
NFL history dates back to 1920. In 1960, the American Football League (AFL) was created to serve as a rival league. The two leagues eventually merged, which is how the Super Bowl was created. In 1967, the first Super Bowl was played between the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the AFL, and the Green Bay Packers, who won the NFL. By 1970, the two leagues formally merged, with the Super Bowl continuing to be played every year between the winner of the AFC Championship Game and the winner of the NFL Championship Game.
2024-25 NFL Season Recap
As has been the case for the last several years, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were the clear preseason favourites ahead of the 2024-25 NFL season. They were hoping to win the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season, a feat that even the New England Patriots had not accomplished during their dynasty during the first two decades of the 21st century.
Despite playing many close games, the Chiefs finished 15-2, tied with the Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFL. Of course, the Chiefs won the AFC West by a comfortable margin. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East, the Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North, and the Houston Texans won the AFC South.
In the NFC, the Lions needed a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North and clinch the top seed in the conference. Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East, the Los Angeles Rams won the NFC West, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South.
In the playoffs, the Chiefs survived competitive games with the Texans and Bills to reach the Super Bowl. However, they fell short against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. Despite finishing with the best record in the NFC, the Lions lost to the Washington Commanders and Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels. That opened the door for the Eagles to reach the Super Bowl behind Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. In the Super Bowl, the Eagles were the dominant team, winning 40-22 to prevent Kansas City’s three-peat.
2025-26 NFL Season Schedule
The NFL regular season begins on Thursday, September 4, when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. As mentioned, the regular season is 18 weeks long, concluding on January 4 when all 32 teams play their final game. The playoffs open the following weekend on January 10. Finally, the NFL season ends with the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
2025 NFL Preseason Wrap-Up
The NFL preseason concluded nearly two weeks before Week 1 of the regular season. While that leaves plenty of time in between, the preseason had plenty to get excited about. For starters, the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants were the only teams to go 3-0 during the exhibition season. On the other side, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons all went winless. That means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only team in the NFC South to win a preseason game despite sitting Baker Mayfield in all three games.
Speaking of the quarterback position, several battles were settled during the preseason. Joe Flacco, at age 40, beat out three younger competitors to earn the job as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. Two years after they drafted him, the Indianapolis Colts have benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Daniel Jones. In New Orleans, the Saints are still deciding between Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough.
Of course, the preseason was also a chance to see other top draft picks for the first time. Two-way player Travis Hunter was perhaps the most intriguing. Despite picking up a minor injury late in the preseason, Hunter could be starting on both offense and defense in Jacksonville’s season opener, and Week 2 at the latest. Jaxson Dart of the Giants was also among the most impressive rookies, leading some to believe that he could take the starting job from Russell Wilson sooner rather than later.
2025-26 NFL Regular Season Predictions
Once the NFL regular season kicks off on September 4, it’s hard to predict what comes next. However, the 2025 season may not be that different from the 2024 season. All eight division winners from last season look to be in good shape to repeat as division champs. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, as teams like the 49ers look to have a bounce-back year. The Bengals could also show big improvement behind Joe Burrow. On the other hand, Trey Hendrickson is unhappy and could be traded, hurting a Cincinnati defense that struggled last season.
Even teams that won five games or fewer last season might have a chance to make some noise in 2024. The Jaguars believe they can bounce back behind Trevor Lawrence. The Tennessee Titans have renewed hope with first-overall pick Cam Ward. The Jets and Raiders also have reasons to be optimistic with Justin Fields and Geno Smith, respectively, taking over as the quarterbacks for those two teams.
Elsewhere, the NFC North looks like it could be the most competitive division yet again. The Chicago Bears were the only team in that division that failed to win at least 11 games in 2024. But if Caleb Williams can improve under first-year coach Ben Johnson, all four teams in the NFC North could be worthy of a playoff spot. Keep in mind the Lions and Vikings set a high bar last season, potentially making the NFC North more balanced and competitive than last season.
Power Rankings
Keep in mind that the teams pundits and prognosticators believe are the best before the season begins may not be the best teams during the regular season. That being said, here are our early power rankings for the 2025 NFL season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Kansas City Chiefs
Detroit Lions
Buffalo Bills
Baltimore Ravens
Washington Commanders
Los Angeles Rams
Houston Texans
Denver Broncos
San Francisco 49ers
Projections for 2025-26 - Early Picks to Win Super Bowl LX
While not all 32 teams can be serious about having Super Bowl aspirations, there is no shortage of teams capable of reaching Super Bowl LX. In the AFC, the Chiefs remain the favourite, although their propensity for playing close games last season is a sign that they might be about to take a step back in 2025. That could leave the door open for Josh Allen and the Bills to finally make a well-deserved Super Bowl appearance. In the NFC, the Eagles, Lions, and Commanders appear to be a step ahead of the rest. While the Eagles have a clear path back to the Super Bowl, Dan Campbell has built a team around quarterback Jared Goff that should be ready to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, setting up a Bills-Lions matchup in Super Bowl LX.
NFL Betting Tips, Odds & Preview
Whether it’s preseason, regular season, or the Super Bowl, you should always have a plan when betting on the NFL. It can be as simple as having a budget in mind or finding the odds you’re comfortable using. Luckily, Stake Sportsbook makes it easier by offering American, decimal, and fractional odds, so you can choose your preferred option. Other than that, there are several key factors to keep in mind when making NFL game predictions, including these critical points:
Watch how the betting lines of an NFL game change throughout the week. This will tell you how others are betting on the game.
Always factor in home-field advantage when making a football pick, including weather. Not only are some teams likely to struggle on the road, but teams that usually play in domes or optimal weather conditions can struggle in rain, snow, or wind.
Injuries always play a role in the outcome of NFL games. Quarterback injuries are typically the only ones that change the point spread, but other key injuries, especially multiple injuries to one position group, can give a team an unexpected weakness that can be exploited.
Similarly, don’t put too much emphasis on the quarterback position. A good offensive line or a dominant pass rush can be just as impactful. The coaching staff, especially the head coach and offensive coordinator, can also influence the outcome of a game as much as a great wide receiver or edge rusher.
Always bet with your head and not your heart. Stay away from betting on your favorite team unless you can be objective with how you analyze the matchup.
Types of Bets & How to Bet on NFL
The types of bets you find for NFL games are often the same during the preseason and the regular season. Here are some of the most common types of bets available for the Super Bowl:
Moneyline - A moneyline bet is an outright bet on the winner of the Super Bowl.
Total - Instead of betting on the winner and loser, a total bet is based on the total points scored by both teams.
Handicap - A handicap bet is also called betting against the spread. This bet requires the favored team to win by a certain number of points. Otherwise, the underdog will win the bet, even if they lose the game.
Game Props - There are many prop bets available for NFL games based on certain events within the game, such as whether the game will go to overtime.
Player Props - Player props are popular during all NFL games. They relate to the stats a specific player collects during the game. For example, passing yards, rushing yards, and receiving yards for players receive an over/under value or milestones with specific odds attached.
Live Bets - Even after an NFL game begins, it’s possible to continue placing live bets on the game, although the odds change based on how the game unfolds.
Parlay - With a parlay, bettors can combine multiple bets from different sports into one larger bet. This increases the payout but also makes it hard to cash because every bet in a parlay must win, or else the entire parlay loses.
Same Game Multi-Bet - Similar to parlay betting, a same game multi-bet allows you to place multiple types of Super Bowl bets within a single bet slip.
If you’re after more information, our guides on how to bet on the NFL and how to bet on sports are great resources to help you.
Live Stream NFL Free Online
Anyone betting on NFL games at Stake.com can watch a live stream of the game on the Stake platform. This won’t require an extra subscription or any additional payment. Just place a bet on the game and you’ll have access to a live stream of the game on the Stake website or app once it begins. This will make it easy to track your bet and place live bets on that game.
Bet on American Football with Best Odds & Promotions
Stake Sportsbook has long strived to be one of the top online sportsbooks for the Super Bowl and other major sporting events. This is for a variety of reasons, including the wide range of betting markets available and our commitment to offering competitive odds. Along with our special NFL betting promo, we also offer ongoing promotions and bonus bet opportunities to help our customers have the best experience possible.
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Stake VIP Club & Responsible Betting
One of the many benefits of betting with Stake is the opportunity to join our special VIP club, which features various VIP levels based on how active you are on the site. There are extra perks and benefits to being a VIP member, including access to a dedicated VIP host.
At the same time, Stake cares about educating our users about betting smartly and responsibly. This is why we have a detailed customer support guide and offer resources like Stake Smart that can help bettors understand how to practice responsible gambling habits.
