NFL futures, 2 Denver Broncos bets: Russell Wilson can't stay this bad ... can he?

Denver will hope that Payton can figure out what went wrong with Wilson, because if the QB can return to the Seattle version of himself, this Broncos team has the talent to compete with the best of them in the AFC.

The wide receiver room is loaded, Javonte Williams is a budding star at running back if he can come back healthy, the offensive line is an above-average unit, and the defense has key contributors throughout.

Payton has gotten the most of an older quarterback before with Drew Brees in New Orleans, and there is some cause for optimism here, as Hackett often looked out of his element in 2022.

Two futures bets to make on the Denver Broncos

Most improved regular-season team (+425 DK)

Found under 'Season Specials'
Now, let the record show that I'm higher on the Bears than the Broncos, as evidenced by our dive into Chicago a few days ago. The Bears have a bit more room to run in this market as they were 3-14 and the Broncos were 5-12, but if Chicago falters, I do think Denver is the bet to make here.

It's hard to imagine the Broncos being worse in 2023. Sometimes head coaching does get overstated, but the upgrade with Sean Payton is easy to visualize. After seeing how good Russell Wilson has been in the past, it's really hard to imagine the 2022 version of what we saw is the new reality. I'm not going to caution a guess as to why that is what we saw on the field last year, but I believe in Wilson's talent, and with a strong supporting cast, I like the Broncos to finish the year with a winning record.

Now sure, over 8.5 wins is a fine bet here at -110, but I'm willing to consider a chance on this most improved market. I'd argue that the winner of this award improves their record by 4-6 wins, and the others in the running at the top of this market don't inspire the same jump, that being Houston or Indianapolis. Chicago is the favorite at +210 for good reason, but this is a nice side investment for anyone else also high on the Bears 2023 outlook.

Russell Wilson over 24.5 passing touchdowns (-120 DK)

Found under 'Player Totals'

Based on some Denver reporting, it seems Sean Payton put more of an emphasis on getting the ground game moving, which I honestly only think benefits more passing touchdowns from Wilson. That may sound counter-productive, but I envision a more efficient Broncos offense (it really can't get much worse), and that will extend across the board no matter how the ball is being moved into the red zone.

Wilson threw 16 touchdowns last year, but had thrown for 25+ touchdowns in eight of his first 10 seasons. Drew Brees exceeded 25 passing touchdowns in his first 11 years with Payton running the offense. I don't think it's inconceivable to see similar production of Wilson if he can recapture his spark and identity.

The Broncos have a strong group of pass catchers to aid that return. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy combine to form a strong 1-2 punch, and the depth is quality in Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler and rookie Marvin Mims. 

Wilson has everything he needs to succeed, it just comes down to whether or not he's truly broken.