Packers Among Betting Favorites to Land Watt

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are among the obvious favorites to sign the All-Pro defender, according to sportsbooks.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Could J.J. Watt return to Wisconsin to play for the Green Bay Packers, the team he cheered for as a kid growing up in Pewaukee, Wis.?

Sportsbooks say yes, but the Packers are not the favorites.

At PointsBet Sportsbook, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the favorites at +150 (3/2). Watt’s brothers, star outside linebacker T.J. Watt and fullback Derek Watt, play for the Steelers.

They are followed by the home-state Packers and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at +400 (4/1).

Finances stand as major barriers for the Steelers and Packers. With a projected cap of $180.5 million, the Packers are $28.2 million in the red – fifth-most in the league, according to OverTheCap.com. The Steelers are even worse at $30.6 million over the cap, fourth-worst. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, have $15.2 million of cap space, making them a logical landing spot as Watt seeks to add a Super Bowl ring to his resume.

The Baltimore Ravens, who generally are active in the veteran market, are next at +600 (6/1). They have $19.7 million of cap space, making them real contenders. The Chicago Bears are +700 (7/1). Watt’s wife, Kealia, plays for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League and Chicago is closer than Green Bay to his hometown.

The Dallas Cowboys, who have $18.4 million of cap space, are sixth on the board at +1100 (11/1). Watt calls Wisconsin home but has roots in Texas, too.

“I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release, and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time,” Watt said in a video he posted on Twitter. “I came here 10 years ago as a kid from Wisconsin who had never really been to Texas before. Now, I can’t imagine my life without Texas in it.”

For more PointsBet odds, check out the top nine contenders in the video.

Here is the full list of odds from SportsBetting.com, where the Packers are the favorites.

Green Bay Packers 3/2

Pittsburgh Steelers 2/1

Dallas Cowboys 4/1

Los Angeles Rams 5/1

Las Vegas Raiders 8/1

Chicago Bears 10/1

Denver Broncos 10/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 12/1

Cleveland Browns 12/1

Buffalo Bills 12/1

New England Patriots 15/1

Miami Dolphins 15/1

Minnesota Vikings 15/1

Los Angeles Chargers 20/1

San Francisco 49ers 20/1

New York Giants 20/1

Tennessee Titans 20/1

Kansas City Chiefs 25/1

Here are the odds at BetOnline.ag, where the Packers have the third-shortest odds.

Pittsburgh Steelers 3/2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2/1

Baltimore Ravens 6/1

Green Bay Packers 6/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

Los Angeles Rams 12/1

New England Patriots 12/1

Cleveland Browns 14/1

Miami Dolphins 14/1

New York Giants 16/1

Tennessee Titans 18/1