If you’re an NFL futures bettor, you’ve likely vetted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ahead of his return from last November’s season-ending wrist injury.
Burrow is co-favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year, tied with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers with +200 odds on FanDuel. He’s also a top NFL MVP candidate with the third-shortest odds at FanDuel (+1000), behind only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+600) and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+800).
Burrow backers are clearly investing in his health after injuries limited him to just 10 games last year. If the 27-year-old gunslinger does stay healthy, the Bengals are a good bet to win their third division crown in his fifth season. Cincinnati has the second-shortest odds to win the AFC North (+165) at FanDuel behind the Baltimore Ravens (+145).
One issue with all of these wagers is that you’ll need to wait until early 2025 for them to cash. However, there is one Burrow-related futures bet you can make at FanDuel that will cash well before then.
Joe Burrow Week 1 Prop Bet
FanDuel Canada has a special novelty market available for Burrow in Week 1 of the NFL schedule:
Will Joe Burrow have bleach-blonde hair vs. the New England Patriots Week One?
- Yes: -142
- No: +114
A winning wager of “yes” would require Burrow’s entire head of hair to be colored bleach blonde at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 8, when the Bengals’ season-opener against the New England Patriots kicks off.
Our money is on yes, even at minus odds, for the following reasons.
Burrow’s explanation for his new hairstyle was that he “got bored.” He also noted that he and teammate BJ Hill had a pact to get bleach-blonde buzz cuts, which inspired the new look.
Everything Joe Burrow said about his new hair, in 37 seconds:#Bengals pic.twitter.com/GGaW84AfsR
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) July 24, 2024
While Burrow acknowledged that the new style likely won’t be permanent, chances are he won’t have time much time before the season starts to let boredom creep back in and motivate him to alter his hair color again.
His current look is also unlikely to change on its own, at least according to the experts at JohnFrieda.com. They report that hair bleaching is “a permanent process which cannot be washed away over time,” adding that bleached hair “doesn’t fade back to your natural hair color in the same way that other dyes will.”
So unless Burrow proactively modifies the color of his hair, his new look isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
That said, the fifth-year QB is always capable of pulling off a surprise. Few imagined that he’d ever be spotted at Fashion Week, yet there he was earlier this summer, strutting around Paris with former college teammate Justin Jefferson in an odd-looking backless suit jacket.
Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson walked the runway at the Vogue World fashion show in Paris yesterday ?pic.twitter.com/07tCYyuv2S
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 24, 2024
As the folks in Cincinnati will attest, anything is possible with Burrow.
As for the folks in Canada who use FanDuel, the play here is to wager on Burrow’s hair looking similar when the season opens. Smart bettors should lock in their action now, as the odds will probably shift unfavorably as Week 1 approaches.
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
