In a little over three weeks, the 2021 regular season will get underway in the National Football League. The schedule has increased to 17 games for this season, with each team getting an additional game against an interconference opponent based on their regular season record the prior season, which throws another wrench into the final division standings, as regular season record is the first determinant for a division title.
Let’s take a look at the updated NFL betting odds in each of the league’s eight divisions as well as our newest predictions.
NFL News: Updated Division Picks
AFC North
| Baltimore Ravens | +115 |
| Cleveland Browns | +150 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +425 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +2500 |
Baltimore has the better pedigree over the last four seasons, as quarterback Lamar Jackson has emerged as a dominant force in the league. The only flaw in the Ravens’ system is that their offense relies on a run-first, grinding approach that eats up the clock and is ideal when they have a lead. However, if they fall behind, they haven’t been able to switch gears successfully and fight back through the air. In 2020, they narrowly lost the AFC North to Pittsburgh, snagging a wild card along with Cleveland. The Browns offer a little bit more value here, and they have upgraded their defense significantly. Despite the fact that they have a legacy of losing in this division, I will take the extra value that the Browns offer and bet on their continued growth. Cleveland to win.
NFC North
| Green Bay Packers | -165 Minnesota Vikings |
+250 Chicago Bears |
+550 Detroit Lions |
+2500 |
We will see better play out of Jared Goff than we did last year, but the Lions still don’t have the talent to contend here. The Vikings should be better on defense (that 33-6 preseason loss had 31 Minnesota starters sitting out). However, the return of Aaron Rodgers means that the Packers are a shoo-in pick once again. Green Bay to win.
AFC South
| Tennessee Titans | -110 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +150 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +650 |
| Houston Texans | +2500 |
The Jaguars don’t have the O-line to let Trevor Lawrence lead his team to enough points to contend. The Texans are headed for a year of Tyrod Taylor and have holes in the roster on both sides of the ball to make them a prime candidate for the league’s worst record. The Colts will either have the work in progress known as Carson Wentz at quarterback, or Sam Ehlinger or Jacob Eason. This should grease the skids for Tennessee to win the division, so if you’re betting on this division, do it now before the value goes down even more. Tennessee to win.
NFC South
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -190 |
| New Orleans Saints | +225 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +800 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1000 |
Tampa Bay has all of their starters back. New Orleans is looking for a new quarterback. Atlanta traded away Julio Jones. Carolina is starting the Sam Darnold era. The Buccaneers did not win this division a year ago, but the Saints still had Drew Brees then. Tampa Bay to win.
AFC East
| Buffalo Bills | -150 |
| Miami Dolphins | +325 |
| New England Patriots | +350 |
| N.Y. Jets | +2500 |
This is Josh Allen’s fourth season at the helm of the Bills’ offense, and in camp he looks sharper than ever. Tua Tagovailoa had some hiccups in his preseason opener but should be able to play as a solid rhythm passer, and the Dolphins have a terrific defense — but they’re still a step behind Buffalo. New England will have a better defense this year as their COVID opt-outs from 2020 return, so it will be interesting to see if Cam Newton or Mac Jones can lead the offense to contention. Buffalo to win.
NFC East
| Dallas Cowboys | +130 |
| Washington Football Team | +230 |
| N.Y. Giants | +450 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +475 |
Dallas has Dak Prescott back, at least on paper, but his shoulder issues have given backup Garrett Gilbert a lot of time at the helm. Gilbert put up huge numbers in the AAF with the Orlando Apollos and played well in a start last season against Pittsburgh, but he’s not Dak. Also, the Dallas defense is very young, which will mean plenty of mistakes in the early going. Washington has a decent quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick and an elite defense. The Giants and Eagles are still in rebuilding mode. Washington to win.
AFC West
| Kansas City Chiefs | -275 |
| L.A. Chargers | +450 |
| Denver Broncos | +700 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +1800 |
The Broncos got solid quarterback play out of both Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater in their preseason opener, so that position may be headed for betting results in 2021. The defense will be stout. But can this team compete with the Chiefs? Kansas City lost some players on defense and may struggle against the Chargers, who have a new head coach. Even so, the Chiefs are still head and shoulders above the rest of this division. Kansas City to win.
NFC West
| L.A. Rams, San Francisco 49ers | +190 |
| Seattle Seahawks | +275 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +600 |
Of the eight divisions, this is the only one where I would bet on a dark horse. Arizona has more weapons on offense and defense than they did a year ago, and Kyler Murray has another year of seasoning in the league. The Rams are working in Matthew Stafford, the 49ers have a quarterback controversy brewing, and the Seahawks don’t seem to have the attention span to put together a complete season these days. Arizona to win.
NFL Betting Odds
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