2016 NFL Betting: Team Sack and Interception Totals

2016 NFL Betting: Team Sack and Interception Totals

BetOnline is currently offering up some fun NFL team props that you can get your hands on before the season starts. Among these are team totals for both sacks and interceptions. For the most part, the juice is running at between -105 and -125 on each over/under, with a few higher numbers mixed in.

At the top of the total sack list is Denver at 49.5. The Broncos led the league last season with 52 sacks and have a fair chance to do so again. Led by Von Miller, the Broncos have the highest rated front-seven according to Pro Football Focus.

Second on the list, and also second in last season’s standings with 49 sacks, are the New England Patriots. The Patriots total is set at 44.5, which is a substantial amount lower than the Broncos. In fact, the difference between the Broncos and Patriots at one and two is the same difference between the Patriots and Lions, the 14th ranked team. The Patriots traded Chandler Jones to the Cardinals and may be without Rob Ninkovich for a chunk of time, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they go under their listed total.

At the bottom of the list are the Bills and Falcons, set at 26.5 and 27.5 sacks, respectively. The Falcons had the league-low total of 19 sacks last year, just above one per game, while the Bills barely edged them out with 21 sacks. While the Falcons still have a poor front-seven – 28th in the league according to PFF – the Bills should be a fair amount better than they were last season. PFF gives them the 16th best front-seven, which should give them a decent shot at a sack total in the thirties.

SACK TOTALS

While the number of sacks can be estimated to some degree, interceptions can be a bit trickier. All of the team totals are set relatively close together in the low-to-mid teen range.

Until last season, there had been at least five teams with 20 or more interceptions every season this century, but only three teams hit that mark last year. The Panthers led the way with 24, with the Chiefs and Bengals at 22 and 21, respectively. The low interception totals around the league last season may be something to consider when making these bets.

The Panthers sit at the top of BetOnline’s total list with 17.5 despite losing Josh Norman in the offseason. PFF gives them the worst secondary in the league, but their great run defense will likely force teams to pass more often and therefore increase their interception chances.

The Chiefs and Bengals are two of three teams with a total of 16.5, joined by the Cardinals. The Cardinals were in 4th place last year with 19 picks, so these tables essentially mirror last year’s rankings. It’s highly unlikely that these teams will rank 1-4 again this year, but it is possible that they all go over their total.

The Bears are the only team with a total set below ten. Last year, seven teams had interception totals in the single digits, while six teams did so in 2014.  Of those 13 teams, only two of them, the 2014 Chargers and Chiefs, had winning records. The majority of the single-digit interception teams ended up towards the bottom of the league standings.

INTERCEPTION TOTALS

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