Welcome back to another edition of NFL Futures Friday — the final edition before the 2024 season gets underway next week. Because this is our final futures breakdown of the offseason, it feels only right to close out this series with our favorite Super Bowl bets for the upcoming NFL season.

Here are the two Super Bowl futures we're adding to the portfolio before the season gets rolling.  

NFL Futures Friday: Super Bowl

Detroit Lions (+1200 FanDuel)

The Lions nearly reached the Super Bowl ahead of schedule last season, and they have the ability to take the next step forward in 2024. Detroit returns nearly its entire starting offense that ranked third in the NFL last year in total offense and points per game. Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are only going to improve after stellar rookie seasons, and Jared Goff has complete command of Ben Johnson's offense behind one of the sturdiest offensive lines in the league.

On the other side of the ball, the Lions are loaded with young talent on defense. Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch and Alim McNeil have the upside to be first-team All-Pros this year. The NFC is completely up for grabs, and the Lions proved in the NFC Championship that they aren't scared of the big, bad San Francisco 49ers.

Houston Texans (+1600 DraftKings)

Houston's upside is to have one of the most explosive passing offenses in NFL history. C.J. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions as a rookie, and he's only going to be better with Stefon Diggs joining the fold. Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell are going to be an unguardable trio all season. 

On defense, Will Anderson is ready to break out as one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in the NFL. The additions of Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair will fill some much-needed holes, and Derek Stingley Jr. has the talent to keep this questionable secondary intact. To knock off Patrick Mahomes in the AFC, you need to be able to outscore him with an explosive offense. The Texans are built to do just that.

In the news ...

Travis Hunter shines as Colorado avoids upset against North Dakota State — Year 2 of the Deion Sanders era at Colorado is underway. On Thursday night, the Buffaloes escaped with a close win against North Dakota State, 31-26, thanks to Hunter's 132 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Shedeur Sanders finished the game with 445 passing yards, four touchdowns and one fluke interception that bounced off a player's leg. After the victory, Hunter and Sanders both vaulted up to 25-1 to win the Heisman Trophy.

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers agree on a contract extension — San Francisco 49ers fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief. After a dramatic offseason of trade requests and holdouts, Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers on Thursday. The deal includes $76 million in guaranteed money. Aiyuk is +4800 to lead the NFL in receiving yards this season. 

Carlos Alcaraz upset in straight sets at U.S. Open — Grand slams in men's tennis are famous for their chalky nature, but no one told Botic van de Zandschulp. On Thursday night, the World No. 74 took down Alcaraz in the second round of the U.S. Open in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year, was the betting favorite to win the tournament, and van de Zandschulp was as high as +2000 to pull off the upset. Novak Djokovic is now the favorite to win the U.S. Open at +150.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jack Dougherty