The Washington Redskins have been in the news a lot lately and that’s not a good thing for fans of the team.
First came the news last week that heavy pressure from sponsors, including FedEx who owns the naming rights of the stadium, could cause the team to finally change the ‘Redskins’ name. Most find it very offensive to the Native American population.
Then yesterday, news broke that three of the minority owners are looking to sell their share of the franchise. They are Robert Rothman, Dwight Schar and Frederick W. Smith, who own about 40% percent of the team combined.
The latest on the name change is that owner Daniel Snyder is doing a “thorough review”, but almost everyone believes that a change will be made before the start of the regular season. The pressure is so great that even Nike is now refusing to sell team merchandise in its online store with the Redskins name.
Redskins the lowest rated team in the NFC
Washington is +8000 to win the NFC at Winning Poker Network Sportsbooks. Their +18500 Super Bowl odds are the second-worst, only trailing Jacksonville (+32500).
The Redskins’ win total for the year is 5, with bettors needing to pay -125 juice for the Over. The Under pays +104.
Washington has a new veteran coach in Ron Rivera. He was a solid hire after amassing a 76-63-1 record in nine seasons with Carolina. He made the playoffs four years in that span, including a trip to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
I don’t believe the name issue should be a big factor this season as it should be changed quickly. The question for bettors to decide is whether Washington has enough talent to go Over or Under the 5 wins.
