2022 is officially in the rear-view mirror and it’s time to look at the year ahead. Philadelphia had an amazing year in 2022, with the Eagles soaring to the top of the NFC, the Phillies making the World Series, and the Union making the MLS Cup Final. But what will 2023 hold for your favorite teams?
If you’re looking to place a bet on your favorite team to win some silverware in 2023, here’s a handy lookahead guide at each franchsie as the new year begins.
Philadelphia Eagles +500 to win the Super Bowl
Going into the game against New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles were 5-1 to win this year’s Super Bowl. While Jalen Hurts’ MVP campaign may have come to a grinding halt, the Eagles’ Super Bowl odds have hovered around the same levels for a few weeks now, despite Hurts picking up a minor injury and missing two games.
This not only shows the strength of this roster, but how bullish Vegas still is on the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles. Third only to the Chiefs and Bills, the Eagles are the favorites in the NFC and with home-field advantage and a first-round bye more than likely, it’s not hard to see why when you remember that Jalen Hurts will be raring to go by the time the Eagles play their first snap of postseason football.
Philadelphia Phillies +1400 to win the World Series
The Phillies stole the hearts of everyone in 2022 with their unlikely playoff berth ending in a gutsy World Series performance. Red October may well have been the best month of the entire year. They proved that they could not only hang with the likes of the Nationals and Padres, but beat them comfortably over an extended series.
It should be noted that as of right now, the Phillies have lost key bullpen pieces to free agency and could still use some more help in the relief department. That will likely come in time, but it’s worth noting that while teams like the Mets continue to throw money around for fun, the Phillies are being a little more methodical.
Side note: The signing of Tre Turner could prove to be huge for the Phillies, giving them another cornerstone to build around for years to come.
Philadelphia Flyers +50000 to win the Stanley Cup
If there was ever a lotto ticket to avoid, this might be it. The Flyers are stuck at the bottom of the Metro division with an aging roster. Carter Hart has been the only exception, in the words of Hayley Williams, and while he may be a phenomenal talent, he can’t carry a whole team by himself. Even proven vets like Kevin Hayes are now having fingers pointed at them as fans search for answers as to ‘what went wrong?’.
This team needs a lot of work and I’m no Nostradamus but something tells me that this bet wouldn’t land.
Philadelphia Union +550 to win MLS Cup
The Philadelphia Union physically could not have come closer to winning its first MLS Cup. In what was a gut-wrenching penalty shootout after an enthralling 120 minutes of play, the Union just couldn’t get over the finish line. Where do they go from here? That’s the big question on everyone’s lips.
With great power comes great responsibility. Leeds United have been all over Kai Wagner, Paxten Aaronson is following in the footsteps of his brother and going to Europe in January, and the Union will again be leaning on their moneyball vision to bolster the roster. They will need to lean on players like Julian Carranza, who in 31 games played in 2022, scored 16 goals and notched 9 assists. Can he continue to build on that impressive resume next year?
There are a few unknowns with this Union team right now. But after such a stellar defensive record in 2022 and an explosive attack that saw breakout seasons across the board, it would be hard to write them off.
Philadelphia 76ers +1800 to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy
Don’t look now but the Sixers are heating up. They amassed an 8-game win streak going into the cold winter and things finally look to be clicking. Tyrese Maxey is now back in the picture, the bench production has been great, and Tobias Harris is finally living up to the contract he was given when he first arrived in Philadelphia. On top of that, Joel Embiid has been playing out of his mind as the Sixers surge back through the Eastern Conference.
18-1 is actually a pretty good price for a Sixers team this stacked with talent. If they do get hot, espeically towards the end of the year, you may regret not taking this price action.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
