Last season the Washington Professional Football Team dropped their controversial but historic nickname and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015! Granted, they only made the playoffs thanks to one of the most inept seasons in NFC East history. Their 7-9 in 2020 didn’t exactly scream world beaters but they did field a top 5 defense according to ProFootball reference.
They also continue to employ one of the premier defenders in all of football in Chase Young. Looking forward to the 2021 season, Washington will ride with the ageless Ryan Fitzpatrick playing for his record 8th different team. Here are important things to consider when sports betting on the D.C football for the upcoming season.
Strength Of Schedule
The 2021 NFL regular season will go from 16 to 17 games. According to MarylandSharp.com, the biggest loser of said increase was the Washington Professional Football team who went from facing the 22nd most difficult schedule to the 15th.
That precipitous drop came thanks to the addition of the Buffalo Bills to their program. BetRivers set their odds to make the playoffs at Yes (+146) and No (-180). Apparently, oddsmakers aren’t titillated by Fitzpatrick’s addition to the team’s anemic offense.
Over/Under
BetMGM on the other hand put D.C’s over/under at 8 (Over -135 / Under +115). That means while MGM doesn’t believe Washington will make the playoffs, they do see a reasonable chance they’ll win at least 8 games and contend for the division. The NFC East’s lack of a definitive favorite gives Ron Rivera and Co. a fighting chance. It also offers some value for gamblers with their “make the playoffs odds.” All the WFT needs to do is beat the rest of their division which, thanks to the competition, seems reasonable.
After all, Dallas’s quarterback is coming off a horrific injury, Philadelphia has handed the reins to Jalen Hurts with Joe Flacco in the wings, and the New York Giants are still waiting on Daniel Jones to blossom. The WFT went 1-5 with Dwayne Haskins Jr. under center and 5-1 with Alex Smith. If Fitzpatrick can stay healthy, you at least like his chances of landing around .500. In all likelihood, it’ll be a tight race between 4 teams with no chance of winning the Superbowl. Nevertheless, if D.C is going to succeed, it will be on the back of their hard-hitting defense…
Defensive Player Props
According to Fanduel, Chase Young (+1100) ranks as the 4th best odds for defensive player of the year, behind Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, and TJ Watt. Young forced the second most fumbles last season but only recorded six sacks on his way to defensive rookie of the year. If he’s going to vie for the DPOY, he’ll have to up that number.
First round draft pick Jamin Davis should go a long way in helping Young and the WFT wreck havoc. At least one NFL pundit, Marc Ross, felt Davis was just what the doctor ordered, "What they were missing," referring to Washington's defense, "is a playmaking linebacker, and in my view, they got the most explosive, productive linebacker in the draft."
Fanduel also posted Davis (+900) as the third most likely candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’ll be contending with Micah Parsons (+550), Kwity Paye (+850), and Jaelan Phillips (+900) for the honors.
