An example of this is the New York Jets. Bodog currently has the Jets at 12/1 to win Super Bowl XLV, making them one of the favorites to win it all, but we should remember that the Jets were fortunate just to get into the post-season. They were at 7-7 after 14 games, and were fortunate to get those last 2 victories only because the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals, already in the playoffs, rested their starters. The Jets, then, played 2 much easier games. However, in an 18-game season, both of those teams would still be playing and would have won those games. That would have left the Jets at 7-9 with 2 games to play, and looking at best at a .500 season and no post-season. Since it was that post-season run that now has the Jets at 12/1 to win the Super Bowl, the lack of that playoff run would currently have them somewhere in the middle of the pack to win it all instead of as one of the favorites.
Another great example is the Tennessee Titans. After an awful 0-6 start, they handed the team over to Vince Young. The Titans proceeded to go 8-2 the rest of the way, and were not eliminated from playoff contention until their loss to the San Diego Chargers in their 15th game of the season. They finished their 16-game season at 8-8. But what if they had played 2 more games? As hot as they were in the second half of the season, they very well could have won those last 2 games, finished at 10-8, and made into the playoffs. With how well they were playing, they could have then made a run in the post-season. If that had happened, they would surely be projected better than Bodog’s current 30/1 odds. Based on only 2 more regular season games, the Titans an the Jets would essentially switch places.
More games would also have a very interesting effect on over/under wagers for win totals. The NFL season is notorious for driving teams into a hole. With the season at only 16 games, once your in that hole, it is hard to get yourself out. But those extra two games could make a difference. If a team’s win total is at 7 ½ in the current 16-game season, and that team is 2-5 after 9 games, it is given almost no shot of going 6-3 the rest of the way and covering the over. However, in an 18-game season, that team would only have to go 6-5, making the over more manageable.
The extra 2 games would also have an effect on a game-by-game basis. The extended season raises the possibility for an extra bye week. If this were the case, bettors would have to prepare twice for how teams perform going into and coming out of bye weeks. The fact that the season would be longer would also lead to more possibilities for injuries, and therefore more opportunities for mid-season power shifts.
Although it is only hypothetical at this point, simply adding 2 extra games to the NFL’s regular season would have major effects on NFL futures. At first glance it may not seem like much, but adding 2 games to the regular season would raise several interesting possibilities and have many interesting effects on all aspects NFL betting.
