The AFC East is no longer the domain of the New England Patriots, as the Buffalo Bills won the division last season and are the heavy favorites to win it again. The other three teams in the division are all testing their quarterback situation to see if they have found the next franchise signal-caller, while the Bills are loaded on both sides of the ball and have settled on Josh Allen to lead the offense.
Let’s take a look at the NFL betting odds for each team to win the division, along with a closer look at each of the teams.
NFL News: 2021 Odds and Picks for the AFC East
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | -150 |
| Miami Dolphins | +325 |
| New England Patriots | +350 |
| New York Jets | +2000 |
Buffalo has rounded out their roster to fill some holes that appeared in the AFC Championship. Gabriel Davis should emerge to play a greater role in the offense as a second-year player, and with the trio of Zack Moss, Matt Breida and Devin Singletary carrying the ball, the offense has plenty of balance. With Tremaine Edmunds at middle linebacker, the Bills have a young anchor for their defense for years to come at the age of just 23. Through the draft, the Bills added pass rush depth, and the secondary is stout, led by Tre’Davious White.
Miami is really handing the keys of the offense to Tua Tagovailoa this time, since Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t be around to come on in relief and lead the team to wins after Tagovailoa struggles in the early going. The Dolphins did add Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller V at wide receiver, bringing speed to the offense to join tight end Mike Gesicki. The defense was stout last year, leading the NFL with 29 takeaways. In the draft, the Dolphins added Jaelan Phillips for the pass rush and Jevon Holland at safety. If the offense can move the ball, the Dolphins will threaten for a playoff spot once again.
New England still has question marks at quarterback, as they added Mac Jones in the draft to join Cam Newton, but can either lead the offense? Nelson Agholor and Kenrick Bourne have joined the team at wide receiver, although you could argue that neither really has the explosive speed or the possession size and strength to dominate games. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith have come on at tight end and could turn the offense around. The defense got Jalen Mills and Matt Judon via free agency, so the Pats will have a solid defense but could struggle to move the ball again.
The Jets will welcome Zach Wilson at quarterback, and his wide receivers are quality — Elijah Moore, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims and Corey Davis. Rookie Michael Carter could impress at tailback. On defense, the Jets have Quinnen Williams and Sheldon Rankins up front, but they need some help at cornerback. The offense could do some damage this season, but the defense is still in progress.
Overall, I see the division turning out this way: Buffalo will win, although the margin will be closer than you might think due to the Bills’ difficult schedule this season. New England will edge out Miami, as Bill Belichick will find ways to handcuff Tagovailoa with his defensive scheme. The Jets will struggle to win games because of their defense, but they will make contests interesting.
NFL Betting Odds
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