The are favored to win the AFC Championship at +370
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is expected to be suspended prior to the season
The Ravens (+490) and Bengals (+700) round out the top five
Chiefs Going for 5th Title in Six Years
The Ravens are Favored to Win The AFC North ( +110 )
AFC NORTH DIVISION WINNER ODDS
Baltimore Ravens: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Cincinnati Bengals: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Cleveland Browns: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Pittsburgh Steelers: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
AFC North could be the most competitive in the
2024 NFL season!
We know that The AFC North is best known for its heated rivalries and star quarterbacks, but The AFC North has been one of the most competitive and even divisions in the NFL for awhile now and could easily be the toughest division in the upcoming season.
Only the Cleveland Browns have not won any championships in the AFC North all-time, can they change that this year or will history continue to repeat itself?
-Last years AFC North-
Last year, the Ravens took the AFC North for the first time since 2019, topping a division in which all four teams finished above .500 and Three teams from the AFC North earned a spot in the playoffs, the most of any division in the NFL.
The Cincinnati Bengals won the division in 2021 and 2022, while the Pittsburgh Steelers took the title four times from 2014 - 2020.
-What To Expect This Year-
This year, the AFC North could be the most competitive in pro football. The Ravens made it to the 2023 AFC championship game but lost to the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, and they are a slight favorite over the Bengals, with the Browns and Steelers further back.
Will the Ravens nab back-to-back titles? Can Cincinnati return to the top of the AFC North with their third division title in four years? Can the Browns find enough consistency on offense to balance their elite defense? Will the Steelers surprise everyone and clinch their first division title since 2020?
The Baltimore Ravens
WIN AFC (+490) at FD
THE FUTURE PICK: RAVEN WIN AFC +490
The Baltimore Ravens were heavy favorites to win the AFC Championship at the end of the 2023/2024 regular season. Baltimore was a 4.5 point favorite against Kansas City in the AFC title game, and they lost outright.
Many people, including the top “experts”believed Lamar Jackson and the Ravens had a chance against the Chiefs, but this wasn’t the case at all!
Kansas City’s defense brutally shut down Jackson, and it continued the most underrated narrative in the NFL, that “the Great quarterback Lamar Jackson can’t win the big game situations”. Now I know that Jackson won MVP in 2023-24, but that shouldn’t blind people of the fact that he once again fell short in the biggest moment!
It’s widely believed through the NFL that The Ravens have the best roster in the AFC and they sure did make improvements in the offseason.
The team added Derrick Henry at running back, who is one of the best at the position in the NFL. Henry will be a perfect power that’s needed in the backfield for Jackson because the quarterback beats all his defenders with speed.
We know this Ravens offense will score points, and the defense should torment the opposition. Yet, their odds should be longer considering Jackson is 0-5 against Mahomes and the Chiefs over his career and the Odds for them to Win The North is at +110 and don’t hold much value! So if forced to bet we have to take a stab at the Cash Out option to win the AFC at +490!
The Cleveland Browns Win Total: over 8.5 (-130)
THE PICK: BROWN WIN OVER 8.5 GAMES-130
I truly do believe The Browns could be a true dark horse in the AFC North this season. I know they finished last in the division last year, mainly due to Joe Burrow's season-ending injury but Could quarterback drama exist in Cleveland? After Watsons injury last season, Joe Flacco came in and carried the Browns to the playoffs, winning Comeback Player of the Year in the process. Watson is figured to be the starter this year, but how short will his leash be? He was 5-1 as a starter, while Flacco went 4-1. Something to keep an eye on for sure Brown fans!
This year, they're set to have Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson back in action and that can only help! But they also boosted their receiving corps by aadding a talented young receiver by the name of Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos and signing him to a new deal. The pass catcher was limited by poor quarterback play last season, meaning I think we likely haven't seen him performing up to his full potential yet.
We all know The Browns defense will keep them competitive in most games this season. With standouts defense players like Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jordan Hicks, and Grant Delpit, they truly have one of the best defensive units in football.
However, there are concerns about starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has yet to regain his Pro Bowl form since being released from the Houston Texans. Watson's career has been a mess since 2020, and i seriously doubt he has what it takes to lead this team to a division title this year. But I do believe we will see this team play good football and win 9+ games this season and find a way to gain a wild Card spot this year! So keep your head up Brown Fans, you have hope!
The Pittsburgh Steelers
Make Playoffs +120
THE PICK: STEELERS MAKE PLAYOFFS +120
NFL fans and Steeler fans alike should get their popcorn ready! In Week 2 we get the return of Russell Wilson back in Empower Field at Mile High. The highly anticipated early-season revenge game will give us plenty to talk about in the next coming months and just another reason to look forward to the upcoming NFL Season!
The Steelers were indeed the best team in the division last year, sweeping both the Ravens and Bengals, and splitting with the Browns. However, overall, they were only 10-7, trailing 13-4 Baltimore and 11-6 Cleveland. Pittsburgh also has issues at quarterback but they turned over their entire quarterback department from last season, allowing Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky to walk in free agency and trading Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles in their place, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson from the Broncos and acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, which in my opinion are some serious upgrades. Head coach Mike Tomlin has made it very clear that veteran Wilson is in line to start.
The Steelers also boosted their roster with key additions, including linebacker Patrick Queen who is a Pro Bowl stud and safety DeShon Elliott, who should fill some crucial needs. I also truly believe George Pickens is going to have a breakout year. On defense, Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr. will have a year of experience under their belts after their impressive rookie seasons! If the Steelers star defensive playmakers T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick stay healthy, the Steelers could have their most balanced squad in years and surprise many this season and make a playoff push this season!
The Cincinnati Bengals to Win the AFC +700
THE PICK: BENGALS WIN AFC +700
We all know The Chiefs have dominated the AFC for years, but the one quarterback to beat Mahomes in the AFC Championship during their recent run was Mr Tiger himself, Joe Burrow.
I’m comfortable saying that Burrow is Mahomes kryptonite, and even though the Chiefs got the best of the Bengals in last years AFC Championship battle, I still truly believe that Cincinnati still can beat Kansas City!
Last year we seen Cincy go 0-3 in their division with Burrow as the starter, and 1-2 once he was sidelined for the season! It was tough for the Bengals starting 0-5 in the AFC North before defeating Cleveland in a meaningless Week 18 game. The Bengals went into last season as one of the favorites in the division and also to even win the Super Bowl, that was before starting 0-2 overall and then their season crashing down with Burrow's injury. Burrow is currently healthy and if the Bengals protect him, they will have a solid team this season for sure!
It’s not all on Burrow though, he will need help and It starts with their elite group of receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase is the primary receiver and Higgins is on the franchise tag. So yes, this is a contract year. Both receivers should honestly be dominant out the gate this season. I understand that Cincinnati no longer has Joe Mixon, but he will be replaced by Zack Moss who is a solid option in my opinion. I’m pretty sure Burrow and the passing game will be at the main go to for Cincinnati’s offense. If key players stay healthy and this defense kicks up to their potential we could honestly see the Bengals win this division!
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