Now We Go: I can see the Future(s)

Have you ever thought you could see the future before it happened? 

Same. 

Hi, my name is Luke Bellus, and I’m amped up for the NFL Season to start next week. 

The start of every NFL season comes with eternal optimism, unless you’re a Cleveland Browns fan, and today I’ve channelled some of that optimism by trying to predict outcome of football games several months from now.

There’s a wide range of options on FanDuel and if you’re considering throwing some scratch on a few futures, today (Futures Day) just might be the day to do it.

My record on these kinds of predictions is just as you’d expect: hit or miss.

Everyone loves to point and laugh at the man brave (and dumb) enough to circle the Kansas City Chiefs to miss the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 as they won back-to-back Super Bowls.

But no one likes to remember the man smart (and handsome) enough to circle Lamar Jackson 16-1 to win MVP in 2023 ,and last year I was heavy on fading the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys as they both came woefully short of the playoffs.

So, take all of this with a large grain of salt because I’m the smartest man in the room until, well, I’m the dumbest man in the room.

Let’s get to some futures.

New York Giants stage of elimination: Wild-Card Round +1300

Let’s just dive right into the deep end, shall we?

The New York Giants aren’t a very good football team, and on paper they have one of the hardest schedules in the league.

So, of course I like them to make the playoffs. New York enters year four of Brian Daboll as head coach and he finally has a quarterback not named Daniel Jones.

Now, sure Russell Wilson isn’t the elite quarterback he used to be, but he’s certainly an upgrade over Jones, and the team has rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart waiting in the wings.

With Wilson leading the offence, we can expect to see plenty of deep balls to Malik Nabers to stretch the field.

And while Wilson is an update at quarterback, if you’re betting on this team it’s because of the defence.

Already sporting one of the best front sevens in the league with Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, the Giants have turned the elite duo into a trio that might be unstoppable with rookie Abdul Carter.

The third pick at the 2025 draft could out of Penn State could be the best talent in the whole class, and after setting records in college now has the chance to eat alongside two monsters on this defensive line.

Outside of the front seven, the Giants have poured a lot of money into the defence, entering 2025 with the second-highest payroll on that side of the ball.

So, for those reasons I’m crazy enough to think this team could surprise and make the playoffs.

I also happen to think that things will get ugly once they get there and, at 13-1, I’m willing to take a stab at this team getting bounced in the opening weekend of the postseason.

Travis Kelce under 675.5 receiving yards -114

“I can’t go out like that” have been the words pushing Travis Kelce to return for another season of NFL football after getting blown out in the Super Bowl. For Kelce, winning another title is all that matters and staying healthy for the postseason should be his main priority.

Entering his age-36 season, Kelce has seen his totals in receiving yards decline from 1,338 in 2022, to 984 in 2023 and 823 in 2024.

The tight end has played 12 seasons in the NFL and has gone over in this number in 11 of them (he played in just one game in 2013).

So, the over is easy and free, right? Wrong. Give me the under. 

My only cause for pause is seeing that Kelce is 895 yards shy of moving into second place for most yards by a tight end in NFL history. But this season isn’t about individual records for Kelce, it’s about being fresh and ready to go in January. 

I wouldn’t be stunned to see a lower count for Kelce this regular season as Patrick Mahomes continues to build a connection with fellow tight end Noah Gray, while also getting up to speed with a plethora of weapons on the outside. 

BREAKING: Wow, he just got engaged as I was writing this. Makes me like the under even more. Congrats to the happy couple. 

 
Super Bowl matchup prediction at 40-1 odds 

The NFL thrives on parity, and often the unpredictable becomes predictable which… makes things really unpredictable. 

However, entering the season, I’d be stunned if one of these four teams didn’t represent the AFC in the Super Bowl: Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston. 

And for the NFC, I’d be very surprised if one of these teams didn’t represent the conference in the Super Bowl: Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco. 
 
Sure, there’s teams in both conferences that can make a Washington-like run at championship weekend, but when circling a Super Bowl matchup, I like to play it safer with options near the top of the list. 
 
Still, despite it feeling chalky I’m taking a flyer on the 49ers getting back to the Super Bowl and meeting the Buffalo Bills when they get there at 40-1. 
 
At the start of last season, I faded both of these teams with the idea of circling back in 2025 to invest in their futures, so I’m doing just that. 
 
The Buffalo pick speaks for itself; they have the best odds of any team in the league to win their division and have been knocking at the door of a Super Bowl appearance for years. 
 
Meanwhile, the 49ers have one of the more favourable schedules in the league based on projected win totals and enter this year no longer hungover from losing a Super Bowl. 
 
Running back Christian McCaffery appears to be heathy and with this being the last year of Brock Purdy’s rookie deal before a five-year $265 million extension kicks in, this feels like it’ll be the best roster the quarterback can have around him for quite some time.
 
The team also ranked dead last in player health in 2024 after being just the 29th most injured team in 2023. If the team can stay healthy, I like their chances of winning the division and playing a few home playoff games. 
 
At 40-1 it’s a longshot, but I’m confident both teams make the playoffs and give me a sweat come January, and getting a good sweat is what making futures is all about.