![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Deshaun-Watson-Cleveland-Browns.jpg\")
Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during the Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 11. (Image Nick Cammett\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nWith the World Cup now over, Las Vegas sportsbooks are turning their attention to the National Football League (NFL) as training camps open this week.<\/p>\n
Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during the Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 11. (Image Nick Cammett\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Some teams begin with rookie arrivals and physicals tomorrow (July 20), with veterans starting to report for a handful of clubs on Wednesday (July 22). The exact reporting schedule varies by NFL team, but by the end of the week, all 32 clubs will be preparing for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Sportsbooks Shift Toward NFL<\/p>\n
This time of year, oddsmakers aren\u2019t focused on glowing player reports or highlight-reel videos. They\u2019re looking for information that genuinely changes a team\u2019s outlook: Which players are taking first-team reps? Is a rookie practicing with the first team, especially with the quarterback, running back and tight end positions? Who\u2019s receiving the bulk of the snaps at quarterback?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A new coaching staff, like with the Vegas Raiders under Gary Kubiak, can change expectations. Is the defensive scheme changing? Will they rely more on the running game?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those are the developments that can influence futures odds, season win totals, even Week 1 betting lines.<\/p>\n
Quarterback Battles Take Priority<\/p>\n
Jamey Pileggi, Risk Manager at Circa Sports in Las Vegas, said they are paying particular attention to the quarterback battles.<\/p>\n
One in particular is in Cleveland, with veteran Deshaun Watson returning from an Achilles injury and battling sophomore Shedeur Sanders for the Browns\u2019 job. Both quarterbacks are working out with skill players this week. Competition between the two is wide open, with Sanders hyping his offseason improvements.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuarterback battles are the ones that really move game lines, futures markets above anything else,\u201d said Pileggi. \u201cThe one\u00a0that is most intriguing to me is in Minnesota with the Vikings. I value Kyler Murray as a significant upgrade to JJ McCarthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rookies Could Reshape Markets<\/p>\n
According to Joey Feazel,\u00a0Head of Football at Caesars Sportsbook, they\u2019re tracking three critical quarterback battles this pre-season: Watson versus Sanders, Murray versus McCarthy, and Tua Tagovailoa versus Michael Penix in Atlanta with the Falcons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough these competitions likely won\u2019t shift futures odds unless the winners deliver truly dominant performances during their reps,\u201d said Feazel. \u201cBeyond those head-to-head battles, we are also closely monitoring rookies Fernando Mendoza [Raiders] and Carson Beck [Arizona Cardinals]. While neither is projected to start in Week 1, strong preseason performances could put current starters Kirk Cousins [Raiders] and Jacoby Brissett [Cardinals] on a very short leash.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf these rookies force their way onto the field early, they could dramatically elevate the late-season ceiling for both franchises and heavily impact the Offensive Rookie of the Year market.\u201d<\/p>\n
Injury News Moves Quickly<\/p>\n
Of course, oddsmakers are also laser-focused on injuries, as one significant injury can shift a Super Bowl price immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cInjury news is what prompts us to move odds markets the fastest in training camp,\u201d said\u00a0Pileggi. \u201cIt\u2019s immediate. Once a tweet goes out from a beat\u00a0reporter that a high-profile QB might miss some regular-season time, we\u2019ll start seeing bets against that team immediately if we don\u2019t see it right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pileggi said bettors are \u201cin love\u201d with the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals right now.<\/p>\n
\u201cRams are obviously very good, potentially adding Aaron Donald if he opts out of retirement, but they\u2019re still in what I believe is the toughest division in the NFL,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have them less than 5\/1 at the moment to win the championship. Bettors seem to be forgetting the Seahawks and really riding that Super Bowl hangover narrative because there\u2019s been very little interest in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bettors Back Rams, Bengals<\/p>\n
A quick scan of the BetMGM lines bears that out.\u00a0The Rams have gone from -285 to -500 (open to current) to make the NFL playoffs, the widest line movement, followed by the Baltimore Ravens (-350 to -375), Bengals (-130 to -175), Houston Texans (-140 to -170) and the Dallas Cowboys (+110 to +100).<\/p>\n
The most bet teams to make the playoffs (tickets) are the Raiders<\/a> (+550), New York Giants (+260) and the Chicago Bears (+100). On the money side, it\u2019s the Detroit Lions (-220), New York Jets (+800) and the Raiders (+500). The most-bet team to miss the playoffs on the tickets side is the Lions (+180), and on the money side, it\u2019s the Pittsburgh Steelers (-220).<\/p>\n BetMGM Markets Show Movement<\/p>\n