The Washington Commanders, formerly the Washington Football Team, are one of the most popular NFL teams in West Virginia. The state also has legal online sportsbooks. Here is what I think are the best bets for backing or fading the Washington Commanders.
The Washington Commanders will look to make it back to the postseason after a tough 2021-22 campaign. Washington had an up and down season and ultimately fell short on making the playoffs. The Commanders will look for their offseason moves to pay off to make it back to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
Washington is ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in Super Bowl odds. The Commanders are in a tight NFC East race. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both made the postseason a year ago, while the New York Giants finished in last place. Washington will need to step up if they want to remain competitive in this division.
The Commanders added a lot to their offense this offseason. Washington brought in quarterback Carson Wentz, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and left guard Andrew Norwell to bolster their offense. The Commanders also drafted receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round. Washington will look for these moves to improve this offense.
Washington Commanders 2022-23 Betting Futures
| FanDuel | DraftKings | BetRivers | Caesars | BetMGM | |
| Super Bowl Odds | +7000 | +7000 | +8000 | +8000 | +6600 |
| Conference Winner Odds | +3100 | +3000 | +3300 | +3500 | +3000 |
| Division Winner Odds | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Win Totals | Over 8 ½ (+145) | Over 8 (-110) | Over 7 ½ (-125) | Over 7 ½ (-125) | Over 8 ½ (+140) |
The Commanders are listed as a long shot to win the Super Bowl, but you can find the best value on BetRivers and Caesars at +8000. Washington has the best value to win the NFC on Caesars, where they are listed at +3500.
Washington is listed at +500 to win the NFC East on all five sportsbooks. The Commanders win total for this season varies anywhere between 7 ½ to 8 ½ games. If you feel confident in Washington, FanDuel has the best offer at over 8 ½ at +145. If you are not liking the Commanders chances to do well this season, you can get under 7 ½ for +105 at Caesars.
2021-22 Season Review
The Washington Football Team finished last season with a record of 7-10, which had them in third place of the NFC East. Washington was led by Taylor Heinicke throughout most of last season as he went 7-8. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Garrett Gilbert started the other two games, going 0-2. The Commanders will look for better QB play this season.
The Football Team went 2-4 against their division throughout last season, sweeping the Giants and losing both to Philadelphia and Dallas. Washington was outscored 434-335 by their opponents last season as well. The Football Team struggled on both sides of the ball at times and will look to tighten things up this season.
New Look Offense
The Commanders have a very different look at quarterback this season with Carson Wentz coming over from the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz threw for 3563 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with Indianapolis. He did not have a bad season with the Colts, but was still lacking the big play ability that they were looking for.
Washington has a strong looking receiving core with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Joseph and rookie Jahan Dotson. The Commanders also have Logan Thomas at tight end. McLaurin led Washington with 1053 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Running back J.D. McKissic was second in receiving yards, which shows their weakness last season.
Antonio Gibson and McKissic will share carries in the backfield this season as well. Antonio Gibson led the team in yards from scrimmage with 1331 and 10 touchdowns. McKissic had 609 yards from scrimmage. The Commanders added Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner to their O-Line. They will join Charles Leno Jr. as they try to guide this offense.
Up and Down Defense
The Commanders have a solid young front seven once again coming into this season. Washington’s defense is led by Chase Young, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and Jamin Davis, all former first round picks from the last five years. The Commanders will look for these young players to take the next big step this season.
Washington kept a similar secondary as well entering this season. The Commanders have a cornerback duo of Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III. Washington also has Kamren Curl and Bobby McCain. Fuller led the team in passes defended with 16 last season, while Curl racked up 99 tackles, only behind Cole Holcomb for the team lead.
The Commanders gave up 434 points and 6108 yards against last season, which ranked 25th and 22nd in the NFL. Washington’s pass defense gave up 4333 yards against, which was 29th, while their run defense ranked 8th, giving up 1775 yards. The Commanders will need some players to step up in that secondary if they want to make it back to the postseason.
Buy Into Slight Improvement
Washington did not have a very active offseason for their defense, but they did overhaul their offense. The Commanders will look for Wentz to lead this offense with the new weapons. Wentz will also need to take a step if Washington wants to compete for a playoff spot. If the Commanders defense can continue to develop, I think this team can see some improvement.
The Commanders have a difficult start with their bye week coming all the way in Week 14. Washington will face the Jaguars, Lions, Bears, Texans and Falcons all before their bye. The Commanders also have four divisional games in that period too. Washington will have a tough finish with the Giants, 49ers, Browns and Cowboys to end the season.
The Football Team finished with a record of 7-10 last season. The sportsbooks have Washington’s win total around the same point this season. I believe that Carson Wentz and the new targets on offense are worth at least one more win. The Commanders have a strong front seven, which should be able to steal some games as well.
Best Bet: Washington Commanders Over 7 ½ Wins