Brandon Anderson said the Patriots are a live playoff ticket at +152 to make the postseason thanks to one of the league’s cushiest schedules. New England draws the entire NFC South, last-place cross-overs that include Cleveland, and opens with an early swing game versus Las Vegas. Anderson believes the roster floor rose dramatically after a free-agency shopping spree that mimicked Washington’s 2023 approach: first-round LT Will Campbell, veteran RT Morgan Moses, and center Garrett Bradbury stabilise what was a bottom-tier line. He called the Christian Gonzalez–Carlton Davis corner duo "nasty" and thinks a Mike Vrabel–run defense can rebound from last year’s 30th-place DVOA into a top-half unit. Offensively, he expects Josh McDaniels to use rookie QB Drake Maye on the move and lean on second-round RB TreVeyon Henderson and slot WR Kyle Williams to mask a still-thin receiving corps. Anderson doesn’t see Super-Bowl upside but compared this build to last year’s Broncos: a nine-win ceiling that’s good enough to cash a playoff futures ticket in a diluted AFC wild-card race.

Brandon Anderson went all-in on fading Denver futures, saying the Broncos “could not make me poorer” because he plans to short them all summer. His case: last year’s 11-6 record was built on smoke and mirrors—turnover luck and a cupcake slate that included the NFC South plus one-score wins over Indianapolis, Cleveland (with Jameis pick-sixes), Atlanta (pre-injury Cousins), Carolina, and both Vegas meetings. When Denver stepped up in class they were blown out by Buffalo and Baltimore and lost both Chargers games. Anderson doesn’t buy another top-five defense after losing coordinator Ejiro Evero and expects turnover regression. Offensively, the front office failed to add a true WR1 around Bo Nix, leaving a one-dimensional attack that must now face the NFC East instead of the South. He is betting ‘miss playoffs’ and leaning under the win total, calling Denver the AFC’s most overhyped leap candidate.

Brandon Anderson forecasted Pittsburgh’s first sub-.500 season under Mike Tomlin and recommended betting the Steelers to miss the playoffs. He called Aaron Rodgers “the exact opposite of everything the Steelers are,” doubting the veteran will mesh with the franchise’s button-down culture or Arthur Smith’s run-heavy scheme. Anderson highlighted Rodgers’ 14-21 record over the past three seasons, questioned how an aging quarterback coming off major injury improves an offense lacking explosive weapons, and set an imaginary Week 6½ over/under for when Smith is fired. Defensively, he warned T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward cannot carry the unit forever. With the AFC wild-card field deepening, Anderson thinks Pittsburgh’s win total is overpriced and sees plus money on ‘miss playoffs’ as one of the cleaner fades on the board.

Brandon Anderson advised holding fire on Cincinnati futures and waiting for the annual early-season swoon to create value. He reminded listeners the Bengals opened 0-3 last year and have ‘come out cold’ in multiple Septembers under Joe Burrow, only to rally late—nine wins or more in four straight campaigns, including a season-ending five-game win streak that still fell short of the playoffs. Anderson’s plan: let the market sour during the first month, then scoop discounted odds on division, conference or win-total overs once the offense finds rhythm. The ceiling remains intact—he called the Chase/Higgins/Burrow trio “unstoppable” when healthy—but early growing pains are predictable enough that betting preseason numbers amounts to paying a tax. Futures investors should circle the Week-5 window instead of August.

Brandon Anderson kept the Chargers in his AFC playoff field and said the wager he feels best about in the wild-card tier is Los Angeles to reach the postseason. His case hinges on Jim Harbaugh’s historical ‘floor’: four seasons of 11-plus wins in five NFL tries, with the lone miss still landing at 8-8. Anderson noted the Chargers started 3-3 before finishing 11-6 under Harbaugh last year, suggesting the new staff already stabilized late-game chaos. He likes that the offense tilted heavier toward Justin Herbert’s arm as the season went on and thinks that trend will continue. Personnel upgrades reinforce the thesis—rookie backs Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris signal a true run-game commitment, massive tackle Mekhi Becton shores up the line, and second-year slot Ladd McConkey “was really good last year” as an underneath outlet. Anderson’s bottom line: in an AFC where he struggled to name wild-card contenders after the top four elites, the Chargers’ baked-in floor makes their playoff futures the easiest click.

Brandon Anderson drafted Houston as his fourth playoff lock and said he is "very confident" the unit will be a top-five defense. His bullish case starts with personnel: Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter give DeMeco Ryans an elite edge duo, while the addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson provides a movable chess piece on the back end. Anderson trusts Ryans’ scheme to squeeze every ounce of value out of that group, giving Houston the highest defensive floor in the AFC South. Offensively, he admits C.J. Stroud still oscillates between top-10 flashes and sack-happy lulls, yet argues last year already showed the quarterback’s worst. With Nico Collins on the field the Texans produced at a playoff-caliber clip, and a healthier offensive line plus a philosophical shift away from Bobby Slowik provide more ceiling. Combine that with what he sees as fatal flaws elsewhere—Anthony Richardson’s durability, Jacksonville’s league-worst tackling defense, and Tennessee’s total rebuild—and Anderson believes Houston is the clear division favorite and worth betting at current AFC South prices.

Brandon Anderson warned bettors not to lump Baltimore in with Buffalo and Kansas City when shopping AFC futures. He actually called the Ravens the most complete roster top-to-bottom, but still slotted them third because of what he considers the single biggest fragility point in the conference: Lamar Jackson’s health. Jackson has already missed nine games the past three seasons and his high-exposure rushing style only amplifies that risk. Anderson noted the drop-off behind him is massive—Cooper Rush is the current QB2—so even a three-week absence could turn Baltimore’s season. He also pointed out the Ravens’ special-teams safety net disappeared (bottom-10 DVOA last year and no Justin Tucker now) and the AFC North is the deepest in football, meaning stray divisional losses are far more likely than what Kansas City or Buffalo face. His conclusion: Ravens division, win-total, and No. 1-seed tickets are priced like a sure thing when they are anything but.

Brandon Anderson predicted a bounce-back passing year and a renewed MVP push for Patrick Mahomes. He cited Rashee Rice’s expected second-year leap, the additions of first-round burner Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown, plus JuJu Smith-Schuster’s return as reasons the receiver room will be far better than last season’s "rebuilding" unit. Anderson acknowledged left-tackle questions but trusts Andy Reid’s scheming and an elite interior offensive line to keep Mahomes upright, making the quarterback an attractive MVP futures ticket and the upgraded weapons a boost for season-long fantasy value across the offense.