Spencer Schultz, whose favorite plays can be seen on PressBoxOnline.com, recently shared his favorite futures bets ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
PressBox: What are your favorite types of futures bets ahead of an NFL season?
Spencer Schultz: I think touchdowns are sometimes a little bit more predictable but also exciting and something that can pay out early. It’s tough when you’re waiting all year. It makes the juice a little bit sweeter — to win the NFC or to win the Super Bowl or those kinds of things — but I think props you can find some hidden value in. I think the public misjudges them a little more. Injuries always play a part. A team can get so derailed from a quarterback getting injured, and usually people aren’t betting on that to happen. I think awards are a little less easy to navigate and require so much subjectivity. The objectivity of numbers and stats make it a little bit easier to hit. I think it’s also just fun to follow along, especially if you wished you played in another fantasy football league or something like that. It just gives you more guys to follow. For the fun aspect, I like touchdowns and yards. For the market itself, I also like touchdowns and yards.
PB: What teams do you like in futures bets ahead of the 2025 season?
SS: Every year there’s typically three new playoff teams in each conference. There’s usually turnover in that regard. The AFC has been tough in that regard the last few years, so I really like the NFC. [In terms of] plus-value playoff odds, the Seahawks come to mind in that regard, the Panthers come to mind in that regard. Somebody’s going to go worst to first. The Seahawks didn’t finish last, but those two teams stand out to me [as far as] teams that showed competitive promise in early coaching tenures. When you look at Dan Campbell, for instance, so often it takes a year for a good coach to get the roster in place, get the wheels really spinning and be able to build something.
Those two teams stand out to me. I don’t think they’re in particularly cumbersome divisions, relatively speaking, whereas the NFC North has two teams that have been really darn good. The Vikings are maybe a team I would fade in that division. I would also maybe look to the Packers, who have been really promising. They’ve maybe lacked some experience offensively, but the value I really like a lot. Those three teams — the Packers, Panthers and Seahawks — stand out as teams that could win a couple close games, do a little better than last year and suddenly they’re on top of their division.
I’ll throw the Patriots out on the side of the AFC. They are +550 to win the division. I don’t know if that hits, but that carrot’s dangling in front of me and I like the way it looks. Out of the Patriots, Bears, Panthers and Seahawks, I think two of those teams make the playoffs, if not more.
PB: What Lamar Jackson futures bets do you like?
SS: Lamar’s passing stats overall are still going to ascend. He is the most dynamic runner in the NFL, including running backs. You can make arguments for him, Saquon Barkley, maybe a couple other guys, but he’s atop that list regardless. The plan has always been from 2018 through today to continue polishing the passing, ease the load on the running and he’ll use his legs in those high-leverage moments. Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill are good backs. The threat of the run game outside of Lamar is there. I think that continues to shift his perspective on the way that he’s lethal and the way that he can be aggressive. I think it’s really translating more as a passer.
He’s now in Year 3 of Todd Monken’s offense. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are now in Years 3 and 5. These are not spring chickens. He’s been throwing footballs to these guys for a while. He’s been throwing to Mark Andrews for a while. The offensive line is in a better spot. He threw 41 touchdowns last year, and it didn’t feel hard. I love his passing touchdowns. I love his passing yards. I think their pass rate will continue to tick up very gently, but I think there’ll be more volume. I think DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker will all contribute to another strong passing season. I don’t think we’ve seen Lamar Jackson throw for his career-high touchdowns or his career-high passing yards yet, and I think we see it in the next three years.
PB: What other Ravens futures bets do you like?
SS: I do think that there’s an opportunity with Mark Andrews, especially because of the Isaiah Likely injury. What people do forget is that Andrews was in Year 1 of recovery from tightrope ankle surgery last year and [was in a car accident] right before the start of the season. Maybe it’s a little bit more of a fan perspective than analytical in a sense, but he is certainly one of the most competitive offensive players in terms of mindset that the Ravens have ever had. He dealt with a lot of negative feedback from a terrible playoff performance and is the type of guy that’s not going to shy away [from that]. He’s going to step into the fan. The player, the recovery timeline, the opportunity in the offense, this Isaiah Likely injury all to me spell out a really productive season for Andrews again, especially in touchdowns and yards. I think he will score nine-plus touchdowns this year.
I’ve seen lines up to 1,375 yards for Derrick Henry’s rushing yards. I don’t think he takes a step back, necessarily, in terms of production, but that’s a lot of yards. He ran for a lot of yards last year. I think the Ravens can get to a spot where maybe they don’t need to lean on him maybe quite as much as they did at times last year. I think the offensive line will be better. I think they’re going to throw the ball a touch more. I wouldn’t be surprised if he runs for 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns and has a great year and maybe Keaton Mitchell takes a couple more touches and Justice Hill takes three more touches a game. He could run for 2,000 yards and maybe I’m an idiot and that would be likely, too, but that line is so high to me. It feels like I’m being baited. I’m not taking the cheese from Vegas on that one.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 294: August / September 2025
Originally published Aug. 13, 2025