Best bets: 10 wagers to consider this football season

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Football season in Las Vegas doesn’t truly begin for sports bettors until they fork over cash to get action at a betting window or on increasingly popular mobile apps.

To help with last-minute bets before the flood of games begins this weekend, here are 10 wagers worth making, running the gamut of available options in both college and the NFL.

Carolina Panthers under 10.5 wins at even money

Everything went right for the Panthers last year to enable a historic 15-1 season, including injury luck and a 5-0 record in games decided by less than a touchdown. Those factors should regress this year, leaving Cam Newton and company as a good, but not great, team.

San Francisco 49ers over 5.5 wins at minus-110

Three years after many called him the NFL’s great new offensive hope, first-year 49ers coach Chip Kelly is now more commonly referred to as a dope. There’s no better time to buy low on a coach who has amassed a more than respectable 26-21 overall NFL record. Kelly only needs to reach mediocrity to eclipse 5.5 wins, which should be attainable with a run-first scheme behind running back Carlos Hyde and a rebuilt offensive line.

Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West at plus-210

The Chiefs might have been the best team in the NFL down the stretch last year, winning 11 consecutive games before losing by a touchdown at New England in the divisional round of the playoffs. They’re the only team in the AFC West poised to possess both an above-average offense and defense, making any plus-price on them to win the division too promising to pass up.

Green Bay Packers at 9-to-1 to win the Super Bowl

If getting to the playoffs is half the battle, no team is more dependable than the Packers. Green Bay has advanced to the postseason in seven consecutive seasons, and with a little luck, could have captured more than its one Lombardi Trophy in the span. With the NFL’s best player behind center, Aaron Rodgers, there should never be as many as five teams listed ahead of the Packers.

Detroit Lions plus-5 at Indianapolis Colts in week 1

With quarterback Andrew Luck now healthy, the Colts are getting bet as if they will take off right where they left off two seasons ago when they reached the AFC Championship Game. But there are issues encompassing the rest of the roster, making Indianapolis a bet-against team early in the season. Detroit, meanwhile, might be a bet-on with quietly solid personnel at every position.

Auburn plus-7.5 vs. Clemson in week 1

After Clemson lost 45-40 to Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game, it was easy to forget that the Tigers’ defense was even better than their offense for the season as a whole. And now they have to replace the majority of the unit. An ideal first rehearsal doesn’t come laying more than a touchdown against a creative offensive coach, Gus Malzahn, in one of the toughest places in the nation to play, Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Boise State over 10 wins at minus-120

If any college football team goes undefeated this season, it’s going to be Boise State. The Broncos project to come in as a favorite of at least six points in every game. They shouldn’t have to deal with the ups and downs that came with breaking in a young offensive core last year, especially not in a weak Mountain West Conference.

Ohio State under 9.5 wins at plus-120

Tradition alone doesn’t entitle any program to double-digit victories. With only six returning starters and one of the toughest schedules in the country, it’s beyond presumptuous to assume Ohio State will fill its usual nook as a national championship contender.

Georgia to win the SEC at plus-850

These are the highest preseason odds attached to Georgia winning the SEC in nearly a decade, despite the Bulldogs fielding potentially one of their strongest teams. They get their toughest SEC East division competition, Tennessee, at home to clear the way for a berth in the conference championship game. With more uncertainty on which team will come out of the West division, Georgia is the best bet in the conference.

Dalvin Cook to win the Heisman Trophy at 12-to-1

This is the first year the Nevada Gaming Control Board has allowed bets on the Heisman before the season, and money has rushed in on a pair of running backs other than Cook. But neither Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey nor LSU’s Leonard Fournette is as well-positioned for success as the Florida State speedster. Cook outpaced them both with 7.4 yards per carry last season and returns his entire offensive line this year.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.