NFL Betting News This Month | Jalen Carter History, New Odds and More | August, 2026

Braulio Perezby Braulio Perez
Updated: August 5, 2026

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We are now a little over a month away from the start of the NFL regular season getting here in September, and fans could not be more excited. All eyes are on the Seattle Seahawks as they are hoping to repeat as the Super Bowl champions, but the Los Angeles Rams are of course giving them a lot to think about. The Rams are entering the regular season as the favorites to win it all, which is no surprise.

However, there has been some major news this summer that has impacted the odds a bit, including the NFL prop bets odds. On top of that, there were some surprise moves earlier in the offseason that plenty of people are still talking about. With all of that said, Week 1 is right around the corner and we’ve got you covered with the latest news, NFL betting analysis, NFL betting trends, and more in this updated piece of you.

The biggest NFL betting storylines this month

  • To start, the Philadelphia Eagles made history, signing defensive tackle Jalen Carter to a historic contract. News broke that the Eagles are giving Carter a four-year, $152 million extension, which instantly makes him the highest paid defensive lineman in the history of the NFL. Carter, a former Georgia star, has been brilliant for the Eagles, living up to his first-round hype. Now, he’s hoping to help Philly win another Super Bowl title soon.
  • In some not-so great contract news, Baker Mayfield arrived to camp without a new deal in place, which no question has him a bit frustrated. Mayfield is hoping to get something done with the Bucs by the time the regular season gets here, but no one knows if that’s going to end up happening for him or not. Mayfield is a top talent, but Tampa Bay is hesitant to give him a monster contract. For now, no one knows if he’ll get paid before Week 1 gets here.
  • With camp and the preseason here, there had been some buzz that maybe Aaron Rodgers would consider playing next season as well. Rodgers announced recently that 2026 would be his final year, but rumors arrived saying he could be open to two more seasons in Pittsburgh. That’s not going to happen, though, as the future Hall of Fame quarterback has doubled down on this being his last season as a pro.

“Obviously known him since the beginning,” Coach Mike McCarthy said of this being Rodgers’ final year. “When you get to that point in life and you get into the fourth quarter of a career, you do reflect. … I think the biggest thing is where he’s at in life. And I’ve watched him grow both personally and professionally, and his personal life is growing. And this is such a selfish, selfish profession. … I’m sure where he’s at, 42, he’s having a lot of thoughts about where he is personally.”

Biggest futures, outright and win total moves this month in the NFL

    • Taking a look at individual teams, one of the biggest changes we’ve seen for win totals for next season has come with the Green Bay Packers. As things stand, Green Bay has now been given an over/under of 9.5 wins for next year. This adds to the pressure that’s on the shoulders of Jordan Love, as he has to take another step forward next season. There have been changes on offense, but the hope here is that Christian Watson can look like a WR1 for Love moving forward.
    • In terms of futures odds for sports betting, the Super Bowl odds keep on getting better for the Rams. It wasn’t long ago that they were at +950 and tied for the top contenders with the Seahawks. However, since then, LA is now at +550, moving up even more than what they were listed at last month. It’s all going to come down to how the defense can improve, but adding Myles Garrett of course is going to help things out in a big way.
    • While the Rams are the favorites to win with impressive Super Bowl betting odds, the Bills are seeing their odds to win the AFC improve a bit too. Buffalo and Baltimore are expected to battle it out for a trip to the Super Bowl, but the Bills are now at +425 to win the AFC next year, with the Ravens behind them at +475. Josh Allen has always dreamed of pushing for a Super Bowl title, and it seems like he might get a chance to do so next season if the latest NFL betting analysis is telling us anything.

Most bet NFL props and markets

With the start of the regular season actually around the corner for us all to enjoy, it’s no surprise that some of the Week 1 odds have changed quite a bit. This includes some massive showdowns in September that people can’t wait for. One of the most highly-anticipated games for that first week of the new season is the battle between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.

Despite the Giants being the home team, they are 1.5-point underdogs for this one. Previously, the Cowboys were favored by 2.5 points, but that line has dropped a little bit. It will be on Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers and the rest of the offensive playmakers for the Giants to keep things close. Meanwhile for Dallas, Dan Prescott is going to want to start the season off with a bang in New Jersey against the G-Men.

Elsewhere, people also can’t wait for the meeting between the New England Patriots and the Seahawks. This is a rematch of the Super Bowl last season, with the Seahawks pulling off a pretty dominant win. Seattle’s defense was stout, giving Drake Maye all sorts of issues with the ball in his hands. Seattle is favored by 3.5 points, and the local fans would love nothing more than for the Hawks to start the season in style with a win over New England.

Another showdown that people are quite excited about is the one between the Commanders and Eagles. That will be another fun NFC East showdown for people to follow closely, as the pressure is on for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley to bounce back in a big way after a rough go at things in 2025. In 2024, the Eagles won the Super Bowl, taking down the Chiefs. They are favored by 5.5 points over Washington, with the hope being that Philly is going to be able to make a statement in that game.

NFL betting trends bettors are watching

With the offseason still here and the regular season not coming until September, one of the main betting trends people are following are some of the tight positions battles. This of course includes quarterback, where there are some questions to be answered for teams. This includes the Atlanta Falcons, who have a tough decision to make ahead of Week 1. Will Tua Tagovailoa get the nod, or will Michael Penix Jr. be the starter?

Both are former first-round picks, but their careers haven’t quite gone according to plan. Tagovailoa has dealt with numerous concussions, which at one point had people questioning whether or not he should keep playing the game or not. Tua has said he is going to keep playing and after leaving the Dolphins, he’s ready for his shot to make some noise in the NFC South. Penix of course is going to look to have a say in things.

As things stand, Tagovailoa is the small favorite with -106 NFL betting odds to be the starter for Week 1, while Penix is close behind him with -120 odds. From our chair this could go either way, but it will be interesting to see which final decision is made. We should find out by the first week of September by the latest here.

What could move NFL odds next?

Once the preseason wraps up, we could see some movement with the odds before Week 1 in September. However, for not, the odds aren’t going to change much. What could impact things would be a serious injury for a contender, but we’re of course not going to speculate on things there. Instead, here’s a look at the current odds for each division, with certain teams emerging as the clear favorites to win those titles and have solid NFL playoffs betting odds:

  • Buffalo Bills to win the AFC East at -120
  • Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC North at -130
  • Houston Texans to win the AFC South at +160
  • Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West at +190
  • Philadelphia Eagles to win the NFC East at +150
  • Detroit Lions to win the NFC North at +200
  • Tampa Bay Bucs to win the NFC South at +175
  • Los Angeles Rams to win the NFC West at +125

NFL previous news updates

  • [July 2026]: The Los Angeles Rams saw their Super Bowl odds skyrocket, and the belief is the NFL West side will be in a strong position to win it all next season. 
  • [June 2026]: The Myles Garrett trade by the Cleveland Browns turned the NFL world upside down, as the Rams defense is now looking unstoppable for next season. 
  • [May 2026]: Rookie minicamps took place and major news arrived for the Rams with Matthews Stafford coming to terms with the Super Bowl favorites on a new big-money contract. 
  • [April 2026]: The NFL Draft was completed, with betting markets gaining traction. Odds have been adjusted for teams after adding top talent throughout the seven rounds of the draft. On top of that, some more free agency moves have been posted.
  • [March 2026]: National Football League trade activity impacts the board, with high-profile player moves causing immediate shifts in division and Super Bowl markets.
  • [March 2026]: National Football League free agency reshapes futures odds, with teams adding elite quarterbacks or defensive pieces shortening from +2000 into the +1200 range.
  • [February 2026]: Super Bowl LX closes the market, with the New England Patriots shortening late to win, driving final line movement as sharp money backed their defense.

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Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez is a sports journalist with more than a decade of experience covering major US sports leagues and international soccer. Since beginning his journalism career in 2011, he has covered a wide range of topics, including college football, recruiting, the NFL, and global soccer, developing a strong understanding of the teams, players, and storylines ...

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