Has Sean Payton found his new Drew Brees…
or is Bo Nix being set up to fail?
Broncos Have Their Man
What Happened: Bo Nix wasn’t even supposed to be a first-round quarterback. But an early run on passers spooked the Denver front office enough that they decided not to wait and used the 12th pick on the well-seasoned QB.
Now, Nix has seized the starting job with the Broncos, and fans are letting themselves dream of John Elway 2.0 taking flight in Week 1 against the Seahawks. How much does Nix being named Sean Payton’s starter move the needle across the NFL landscape?
Why It Matters: From a team perspective…not that much.
Forget a magical run to the Super Bowl, warn oddsmakers. Only the Panthers (+25000) and Patriots (+30000) have worse odds (via BetMGM) at being crowned champs in February. Even winning the AFC West is a long shot at +2500; the Pats are +3000 to win the AFC East, the sole team with worse odds to capture a division title.
As for Nix himself, his earning QB1 status has launched him up the list for Offensive Rookie of the Year contenders. The former Oregon Duck was a +1700 bet to capture OROY honors as he jostled with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson the starting job.
Now that Sean Payton has confirmed he’s rolling with Nix, his odds have moved to +900, trailing only Caleb Williams (+130), Jayden Daniels (+500), and Marvin Harrison Jr. (+750). With guaranteed playing time, Nix will have his shot — your faith in him (and Payton) will determine if this is a bet worth taking.
What We’re Watching Today
Reds at Pirates (6:40 PM ET) – You’ve probably figured out already that if we are tuning into a Pirates game in late August, it’s because Paul Skenes is on the hill. He got his first win of August in his last start against Seattle, and defeated the Reds back in June, striking out seven in six innings. Pittsburgh might be tempted to lighten the prized rookie’s workload as the season stretches into September, so catch him on the mound while you can.
Colts at Bengals (8:00 PM ET) – A rare case here in which a legit starting quarterback will be in action, as Indy wants Anthony Richardson to get more reps coming off a rookie season full of promise and injuries. The former Florida Gator is electric; getting to face Cincy second-stringers could produce a couple of highlight reel plays if nothing else.
Bears at Chiefs (8:20 PM ET) – The Caleb Williams-Patrick Mahomes comparisons have already started, and tonight we get to see them face off against one another!
(checks earpiece)
Ok, we’re being told neither QB will actually play tonight. Bummer. Still, it’s football and you are powerless to the NFL, so you’ll at least kick the tires on this one.
The Look Ahead
Dylan Cease STRIKEOUTS – Considering he’s second in MLB in strikeouts this season (186), a line of 7.5 Ks for Cease makes a lot of sense. And the Mets, despite taking two of three from Baltimore, racked up 30 whiffs over those three games. But New York only struck out five times yesterday, and Cease has failed to reach seven strikeouts in four consecutive starts. It’ll be tight, but we think Cease hits the under here.
