Through the first five-plus weeks of the NFL season, there have been a fair share of surprises 🫢. With the way that bettors have been wagering on division futures recently, we may just be getting started in that department.

In the month of October, the two most popular NFL division bets by both tickets and handle are the Bengals to win the AFC North and the Texans to win the AFC South. Both teams have the longest odds in their division to finish atop the standings, with Cincinnati priced at +425 and Houston positioned at +625.

We asked trader Jake Fisher for his take on these wagers.

Bengals to Win AFC North
25.2% tickets (1st) and 26.2% handle (1st) among all division bets since Oct. 1
ASK THE TRADER: There is perceived value at +425 considering Cincinnati opened the season as a +150 division favorite and currently stands just one game behind the Steelers and Ravens. While Joe Burrow is getting healthier, the Bengals have a challenging 💪 month after their Week 7 bye with matchups against the 49ers, Bills, and Ravens.

Texans to Win AFC South
14.0% tickets (2nd) and 22.2% handle (2nd) among all division bets since Oct. 1
ASK THE TRADER: C.J. Stroud’s Texans featuring a top-3 passing offense by yards through five weeks is something nobody saw coming. So a divisional price of +625 seems fairly appealing 👍 considering Houston owns the third-easiest strength of schedule remaining.

We are offering BOOSTED ODDS for ANY SPREAD AND TOTAL for tonight’s college football slate.

Make sure to take advantage during Power 💪 Hour (starting at 6 p.m. ET) by betting on Tulane-Memphis (7 p.m. ET), Fresno State-Utah State (8 p.m. ET) or Stanford-Colorado (10 p.m. ET).

See the Promotions page on the app or website for full promotional Terms & Conditions.

OPENING KICKOFF: 10 p.m. ET

KEY FACTS: Stanford is 2-16 against the spread in its last 18 Pac-12 games 🤢. Colorado has averaged 12.3 points in fourth quarters this season, which is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the country.

MAKING MOVES: The Buffaloes 🦬 opened as 11-point home favorites and the line has risen to -12 with the news that Travis Hunter is on track to make his return tonight. Meanwhile, the total was as high as 60 earlier today but has come back down to its original number of 59.

POPULAR PLAY: No team has gotten more bets to cover its Week 7 spread than Colorado. The Buffaloes have drawn the sixth-most spread handle, though, including behind fellow Pac-12 teams Utah (-11 vs. Cal), Oregon State (-3.5 vs. UCLA) and Washington (-3 vs. Oregon).

Zack is so sharp on Futures/prop betting, he is feared by nearly every major sportsbook. We hired him to arm clients with the knowledge 🧠 they crave. Follow him on Twitter ➡️ zackonomics.

LeBron James — NBA MVP (+3500)

The greatest of his generation and arguably all-time, LBJ is the most consistent statistical player in NBA history — bar none. For 20 years, we have witnessed LeBron average 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists, and last year was no different with 29-8.3-6.8.

As the oldest player in the NBA, one might think James is getting ready to ride off into the sunset 🌇 with his 4 MVPs and championship rings. But that’s not what the great ones do when they lace it up. Did you think Tiger Woods could win The Masters in 2019? Never underestimate the power of greatness, and remember, this award is decided by a vote from the media. No one could write a better story than Los Angeles winning the West led by the King 👑.

This is worth a flyer if only for one reason: No other player’s MVP odds could possibly plummet from a +3500 longshot to single digits faster than the publicly backed Lakers leader.