Early NFL predictions: Super Bowl LVII future bets

The dust has settled from the Rams' 23-20 Super Bowl LVI win over the Bengals on a last-second defensive stop.

We congratulate Los Angeles, but now is a great time to scan the futures board and put down a ticket for next season's Super Bowl champion.

Much can and will change before the season starts. We have free agency, the draft and any trades that may shake up the complexion of the league (cough, Russell Wilson/Aaron Rodgers).

Still, there's value out there, so here are my three favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next February in Glendale, Arizona.

San Francisco 49ers: +1500 on FanDuel

The 49ers came a game short of reaching the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, and I think they offer some fantastic value at +1500 to win it all in 2023.

There are a few keys for me in these bets: impending free agency, salary cap flexibility and the quarterback position.

Based on a quick look through San Francisco's free agents on Over the Cap, it would appear the core that has kept the 49ers so competitive will remain intact.

The X-factor here is quarterback. The expectation is that Jimmy Garoppolo is traded before the beginning of next season, opening the door for 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance to take over as the starter.

Look at the Bengals reaching the Super Bowl this year, the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl a few seasons ago or the Eagles authoring a Super Bowl run in 2018.

The commonality? Each had a quarterback on a rookie contract.

QBs take up so much of the salary cap that by the time they sign their second contracts, their teams are strapped for cash to fill out the rest of their rosters with high-end talent.

Assuming Garoppolo gets off the books and Lance shows himself to be a strong quarterback, San Francisco is going to have the ability to put a strong team on the field.

I like this angle and the +1500 odds for the Niners.

Cincinnati Bengals: +2000 on FanDuel

This is just a value play given this team was just in the Super Bowl.

In general, though, I'll use this space to write about the AFC as a whole, which is by far the stronger conference moving forward.

Josh Allen/Buffalo and Patrick Mahomes/Kansas City are just the tip of the iceberg. Justin Herbert and the Chargers feel due for a jump in the standings, and the Ravens have pieces to be competitive. Then there are teams like Tennessee and New England making things tough on anyone.

Still, we can't ignore +2000 odds on Cincinnati winning the big game.

The Bengals have what I covet above all: a quarterback on his rookie contract. Both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are also still on their rookie deals, which explains how Cincinnati has the third-most cap space to play around with this offseason.

The Bengals are in a great position to add high-quality players through free agency to build a stronger team. Think offensive line upgrades and secondary additions.

This team has a very real championship window and offers us the best value at this juncture in the AFC.

Philadelphia Eagles: +4000 on DraftKings

I won't hide from it, and I have no doubt you will laugh at this pick: I am an Eagles fan.

There is most definitely bias here, but I'm including Philly here as an option at +4000 because I have this feeling the Eagles are going to ship out Jalen Hurts and a few of their first-round picks to land Russell Wilson.

Wilson would be a major upgrade for this team at the most important position in sports, and I do wonder if the Eagles see what the Rams just did (trading for Matthew Stafford) and think that's their best path to win another Super Bowl.

This team has one of the best offensive lines in football, young offensive players with room to become some of the best at their positions in DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, and plenty of cap space to add new pieces.

This bet is simply projecting a Wilson trade, with a splash of fandom bias included.