The New York Jets odds have improved with the team’s acquisition of Aaron Rodgers. Many fans are hopeful for a Super Bowl run this upcoming season. As head coach Robert Saleh sees it, New York is on the shortlist of legitimate contenders.
The latest Super Bowl odds show the Jets as one of the top seven options on the board. Do they have a legitimate shot at breaking a championship drought that stretches all the way back to Super Bowl III? Let’s take a look.
Latest New York Jets odds for Super Bowl 58
Saleh believes Jets are “one of those teams”
In recent comments to the media in regard to the Jets’ prospects for the upcoming campaign, Saleh said the following:
“And then realistically, there’s maybe six or eight teams that have an actual chance to do it. And I do think we are one of those teams. But none of it matters unless we do it. We take care of it today.”
This being the offseason, optimism abounds in locker rooms across the NFL. That said, Saleh isn’t simply trying to motivate the troops even further. Preseason futures odds suggest that the Jets are legitimate contenders across the board.
How do the Jets Super Bowl odds compare?
At the initial release of futures betting odds on the winner of Super Bowl 58 by DraftKings Sportsbook, the Jets stood at +2800, which was behind the top tier of contenders. Following the trade for Rodgers, the Jets jumped up the board. Here’s where the team stands in the current Super Bowl odds hierarchy:
- Kansas City Chiefs:
- Philadelphia Eagles:
- Buffalo Bills:
- San Francisco 49ers:
- Cincinnati Bengals:
- Dallas Cowboys:
- New York Jets:
New York is now seventh on the board, behind only the four conference finalists from a season ago and a pair of teams that made it to the divisional round. After closing out last season at 7-10 following a six-game losing streak, the Jets are suddenly hanging around some elite company.
Quinnen Williams still in contract talks, not at OTAs
Saleh also mentioned the ongoing contract negotiations with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Williams is seeking a new contract equivalent to other top NFL defenders signed this offseason. He’s been absent from the Jets’ OTAs this week.
“I’m not worried at all,” Saleh said. “That thing will get done and he’ll be here.”
What are additional Jets futures markets?
For additional perspective into the expectations surrounding the Jets, here are some additional NFL futures odds:
- To win the AFC: New York is behind only the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals in odds to win the conference, and in front of teams like the Ravens, Dolphins and Chargers.
- To win the AFC East: Buffalo is the favorite to win the division once again. The Jets are next up on the odds board, slightly ahead of the Dolphins. If New York is going to make a Super Bowl run, it may have to do so as a wild card team.
- To earn the No. 1 AFC seed: This is where expectations start getting tempered. The Jets are the seventh option to earn the top seed, with the Chiefs, Bengals and Bills leading the way.
- Regular season win total: The Jets are among a group of teams with a benchmark of 9.5 wins. Just five teams have lines in double digits: the Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles, Bills and 49ers.
- To make the playoffs: Based on the odds, sportsbooks are giving the Jets a solid chance of earning one of the playoff berths on the AFC side of the bracket.
In short, sportsbooks expect Rodgers to provide an immediate boost to a roster that appears to be just a few pieces away from contending. Last season, the club boasted a pair of rookie of the year award winners in Garrett Wilson and Ahmad Gardner.
The defense was in the upper tier of the league, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the shortcomings on offense. Rodgers, a four-time league MVP and a potential candidate to win the award once again, could prove to be a big difference-maker.
Saleh is among the candidates for NFL Coach of the Year.
Upcoming schedule for the New York Jets
The addition of Rodgers has moved the Jets into the spotlight for the upcoming season. The club currently has five primetime games on the docket, and it will also be the host for the NFL’s inaugural Black Friday game when New York takes on the rival Dolphins.
While the kickoff of the regular season is still several months away, betting odds are available for the first month of Jets games.
- Week 1: Bills at Jets
- Week 2: Jets at Cowboys
- Week 3: Patriots at Jets
- Week 4: Chiefs at Jets
It’s a challenging start to the season, to say the least. New York will be squaring off with three playoff teams from a season ago, as well as the rival Patriots. They’re currently favored in only one of those contests, but they will be at home for three of their first four games.
After the first month, the Jets travel to take on the Broncos, followed by a home date with the Eagles in advance of a bye in Week 7. For the remaining 11 games, five are against clubs that qualified for the playoffs last season.
While Rodgers is an elite QB, there could still be some growing pains in the early part of the season as he acclimates himself to new surroundings. By the time the team gets to its bye week, we should have a much clearer sense of whether we can expect the Jets to be in the mix down the stretch.