The 2026 NFL season is now just days away and Racing Post's Tom Hill expects Denver Broncos to build on their fantastic campaign in 2025.
Denver finished the 2025 campaign with a 14-3 record, only for an injury to quarterback Bo Nix to derail their progress.
Coach Sean Payton has made some minor adjustments to the roster to try to boost his team's chances and there's plenty to like about several teams' chances heading into the new season.
2026 NFL Season Tips and Predictions
Outright Prediction: Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl LXI @ (20/1)
Dark Horse Tip: Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LXI @ (16/1)
Alternative Tip: Chicago Bears to win NFC North @ (16/5)
Divisions to Watch
Here are this season's most eye-catching divisions.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders
NFC North
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2025 season with a 10-7 record, which was enough to win the division. Both Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals had injuries to deal with, and it should be fascinating to see if Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow can bounce back to their best.
In the AFC West, Kansas City Chiefs failed to make the playoffs last year, while in Las Vegas, first-round pick Fernando Mendoza will look to transform his Raiders' fortunes.
In a division that includes the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, anything is possible in what should be a thrilling battle.
The NFC North is also competitive, while the reigning champions and current favourites Seahawks compete in the NFC West.
2026 NFL Season Favourites
After adding the best player in the NFL to their roster in Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams are deserving favourites for this year's crown.
Aaron Donald has also come out of retirement, meaning the Rams' defensive front is arguably the best in the NFL.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie was also acquired in a trade with the Chiefs, while Sean McVay's offence still looks as dangerous as ever.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is still one of the best in the league despite approaching 40, and the Rams look well placed to go all the way in a year when the Super Bowl takes place on home soil too.
MVP Favourites
Buffalo's Josh Allen has the ability to carry his team to victory at any given moment and the hiring of new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard may help the Bills' defence take the pressure off Leonard.
Allen's dual-threat makes him a constant danger to the opposition and, if he stays injury-free, then the MVP award is a realistic target.
Jackson and Burrow struggled with injuries last season, but a return to fitness gives them every chance of winning the individual award.
Chargers ace Justin Herbert has every chance of being named MVP, with Mike McDaniels now in charge of the offence.
Data-Led 2026 NFL Season Predictions & Analytics
Here's what the data tells us about the leading contenders:
The Rams dominated the passing game rankings last season. Matthew Stafford threw for the most passing yards with 4,707, wide receiver Dante Adams caught the most touchdown passes with 14, while Puka Nacua had the most receptions with 129.
New Rams recruit Myles Garrett registered 23 sacks last season, 6.5 more than New York Giants ace Brian Burns.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has won 14 games in each of the past two seasons, making him one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to achieve that.
Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith has registered three seasons of 1,000 receiving yards or more and is now his team's primary passing target after the departure of A.J. Brown.
2026 NFL Season Outright Prediction
The Broncos overachieved in 2025 and can build on that success under the stewardship of Payton.
Their 14-3 record last year proves how dangerous they can be and the addition of receiver Jaylen Waddle should only elevate their offence.
They now have three running backs that can make a difference and the Broncos have an elite defence that caused chaos for teams last year.
Denver could have gone all the way if Nix stayed healthy, and they look well positioned for another title push.
Dark Horses to Watch
The Eagles may have lost Brown to New England Patriots, but their defence is elite and the addition of receivers Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks gives them more balance.
Philadelphia have a well-rounded roster and have title-winning experience, and they still finished with an 11-6 record last year, which was enough to win the NFC East.
New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion impressed during his time at Green Bay Packers and if he can elevate QB Jalen Hurts at all, the Eagles should be right in the mix come January.
Other threats include the Bills and reigning champions the Seahawks, while the Chargers look primed for a decent campaign after hiring McDaniels as their offensive chief.
Alternative Tip
Chicago Bears are being overlooked, it seems, in the race for the NFC North, having been installed as the third favourite for the division.
Caleb Williams and co won the division last year with an 11-6 record and head coach Ben Johnson should only improve in his second year in the job.
Chicago relied heavily on their offence to bail them out of trouble last season, but if their defence can improve even marginally, it gives them a great chance of following up last season's success.
Who Wins the Superbowl?
The Rams deserve to be favourites and if Garrett and Donald can click and combine, they should cause havoc for the opposition.
However, the NFL can be brutal and the Rams look far too short to say an injury could totally derail them.
Denver's overall roster has much more depth and the heartache of last season should stand them in good stead.
Philadelphia should always be dangerous thanks to their consistent front office and, if they are within touching distance of going all the way, expect them to make some big roster moves to get the job done.
Read more NFL betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
