What NFL Teams Are the Best Futures Bets to Win Super Bowl LIII?

August is the month of optimism for NFL bettors, and perhaps no preseason wager offers more hope than the Super Bowl futures bet. If you can just predict this season's champion five or six months ahead of time, a handsome payout awaits in February. But making a smart futures bet isn't as simple as taking the Patriots at +500 (although it could be). Finding a worthy bet requires digging through each team's odds and seeing who's undervalued, and sometimes backing a pick that might seem counterintuitive. After all, nothing's off the table in America's most parity-rich major pro sports league—just ask anyone who grabbed the Rams at 200-1 to win Super Bowl XXXIV back in 2000. Here are each NFL team's preseason odds to win the Super Bowl, and three bets that could make you look awfully smart come 2019.

Odds to win Super Bowl:

New England Patriots +500

Philadelphia Eagles +900

Green Bay Packers +1000

Los Angeles Rams +1000

Pittsburgh Steelers +1000

Minnesota Vikings +1200

New Orleans Saints +1600

Saints Betting Preview: After Last Season's Heartbreak, Can New Orleans Repeat Its Success?

Dallas Cowboys +2000

Jacksonville Jaguars +2000

San Francisco 49ers +2000

Atlanta Falcons +2200

Houston Texans +2200

Los Angeles Chargers +2200

Kansas City Chiefs +2800

Carolina Panthers +3300

Seattle Seahawks +3300

Baltimore Ravens +4000

Denver Broncos +4000

Oakland Raiders +4000

Tennessee Titans +4000

Detroit Lions +5000

New York Giants +5000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5000

Indianapolis Colts +6600

Washington Redskins +6600

Cleveland Browns +8000

Arizona Cardinals +10000

Buffalo Bills +10000

Chicago Bears +10000

Cincinnati Bengals +10000

Miami Dolphins +10000

New York Jets +15000

Chargers Betting Preview: Can L.A. Put It All Together With One of AFC's Most Talented Rosters?

New Orleans Saints +1600

A costly error by a rookie on defense sent the Saints home in heartbreak in the playoffs last year, but it's that same defensive youth that could vault New Orleans to greater heights by the time the 2019 postseason rolls around. Players like Sheldon Rankins, Vonn Bell, Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams—the culprit on Stefon Diggs's infamous touchdown—are all set to enter their primes and transform a good defense into a great one. On the other side of the ball, few offenses are as scary as the Saints'. Drew Brees is as precise a thrower as ever as his 40th birthday approaches, and Michael Thomas is one of the five best receivers in the NFL—and perhaps the most overlooked. But it's the backfield of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, which was historically great in 2017, that will have opposing defensive coordinators up at night. Ingram will serve a four-game suspension to start the season, but that preemptive rest could help keep him fresh come playoff time, when the ground game becomes all the more important.

Los Angeles Chargers +2200

A series of nail-biting early-season losses ultimately cost the Chargers a playoff spot last year, but they still managed nine wins and appear positioned to improve upon that mark in 2018. Philip Rivers is still sharp as a passer, throwing only 10 interceptions last season, and he'll have plenty of targets to throw to in his pro 15th season. Keenan Allen has finally been recognized as one of the league's best wideouts, Tyrell Williams is a worthy sidekick and Mike Williams appears poised for a breakout sophomore campaign. Plus, star running back Melvin Gordon joins Rivers in the backfield. And the defense in Los Angeles is just as star-studded. Joey Bosa—already one of the NFL's top pass rushers at 23 years old—headlines the group, and Melvin Ingram nearly matched Bosa's 12.5 sacks last season with 10.5 of his own. In the instances when opposing QBs are able to get off passes against the Chargers, Casey Hayward and the rest of a ball-hawking secondary will be eager to make some highlight plays of their own. If the Bolts can survive a treacherous AFC West—which they're favored to win at +150—they can match their talent with anyone in the playoffs.

Washington Redskins +6600

If you project a few things breaking right for Washington, it's not too hard to envision the team going 9-7, grabbing a Wild Card spot and then perhaps making a run in the playoffs. Imagine this: Alex Smith's consistency makes him an upgrade over Kirk Cousins, and his underrated mobility gives the Redskins a few key first downs over the course of the season. Jordan Reed stays on the field, Josh Doctson finds his first-round form, and Adrian Peterson is rejuvenated in a new environment. On defense, Ryan Kerrigan and Josh Norman play like All-Pros, and less-proven pieces like Ryan Anderson and Montae Nicholson step up as reliable playmakers. Of course, there's a good chance Washington doesn't even reach its Vegas preseason win total of 7 this season, but that's the risk with longshot bets. At +6600, the Redskins are the best play this far down the board.