Half of the NFL divisions have an overwhelming advantage, and the other half of the divisions can basically enter the 2021 season. The defending champions of the AFC North, NFC East, NFC South and NFC West do not want to repeat. The three teams won back-to-back division championships.
Below are the NFL division predictions and playoff picks for the upcoming season.The betting odds come from FanDuel sports betting.
AFC East: Buffalo Bills -150, Miami Dolphins +330, New England Patriots +360, New York Jets +1600
After Josh Allen’s breakout season and AFC championship trip, Buffalo is clearly the favorite to return to the division championship. The Bills may be challenged by the Dolphins or the Patriots, both of whom are led by a young first-round quarterback.Between New England Free agent spending spree And all the players they opted out of in 2020, Bill Belichick should return his team to the playoffs. The Jets are rebuilding their rookie head coach and quarterback.
Forecast: Buffalo
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens +115, Cleveland Browns +155, Pittsburgh Steelers +440, Cincinnati Bengals +1600
One season after winning the division championship in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland had a much better chance of winning first place. The Steelers benefit from the easy schedule in 2020, and the situation in 2021 will become more difficult. Nonetheless, their top defense and playmaker around Ben Roethlisberger can help the Pittsburgh team continue its 18 consecutive seasons of winning streak without losing. Lamar Jackson’s record as a starter is 30-7, although preseason injuries have made him a problematic weapon. Cleveland may actually have the most talented lineup in the department, which includes key defensive additions, while Odell Beckham Jr. recovered from a torn ACL. The Browns almost defeated the Chiefs in the divisional playoffs.
Forecast: Cleveland
AFC South: Tennessee Titans -110, Indianapolis Colts +140, Jacksonville Jaguars +600, Houston Texans +2300
The AFC South is the loser of Tennessee. The Titans won the division championship with 9 wins and 7 losses for four consecutive seasons in 2021 with a record of 11-5. Ryan Tannehill Top 10 quarterbacks Two years. Adding Julio Jones to an offense that already includes AJ Brown and Derek Henry will make up for the Titans’ poor defense. Indianapolis needs Carson Wentz to rebound in an important way to get the Colts to first place. Jacksonville did not win the division championship after a 1-15 record last season. DeShawn Watson seems unlikely to play for the Texans, which makes Houston doomed to win the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Forecast: Tennessee
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs -290, Los Angeles Chargers +490, Denver Broncos +700, Las Vegas Raiders +1700
As long as Patrick Mahoms and Andy Reid are on the Chiefs, you can win the AFC Western Conference in Kansas City. The NFL’s best player, Mahomes, has never lost more than four games in a season. Reid led the Chiefs to five consecutive scoring zone championships. During that time, he won an average of 12 victories per year. Considering Denver’s defensive and wide receiver talent, the Broncos may actually be a greater threat to the Chiefs than the Chargers. The Raiders have not changed much. The last time they won the playoffs was in 2002.
Prediction: Kansas City
2021 AFC Final Ranking
1) Kansas City
2) Tennessee
3) Cleveland
4) Buffalo
5) New England (wild card)
6) Denver (wild card)
7) Baltimore (wild card)
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys +130, Washington Football +260, New York Giants +400, Philadelphia Eagles +450
NFC East is a historically weak sector in 2020, because a 7-9 record is enough to get Washington to win first place. Washington has a tougher schedule in 2021. Dallas is clearly the most popular, with the best quarterback to date Dark Prescott and potentially explosive offense. However, concerns about Prescott’s health and Cowboys defense make the division champion far from certain. There is a world where the Giants’ defense and Daniel Jones’ improved season are enough for the New York team to win the division championship, although a poor offensive line may hinder the team. The Hawks are not very good at all.
Forecast: Dallas
NFC North: Green Bay Packers -145, Minnesota Vikings +250, Chicago Bears +500, Detroit Lions +1900
NFC North is a two-team game between the Packers and the Vikings. After 13-3 seasons, with Aaron Rodgers winning the MVP award for the third time, Green Bay is still one of the league’s top contenders for the Super Bowl. The Vikings have the ability to challenge the Packers. Kirk Cousins led the team to the fourth offensive end of the football league last year. Minnesota’s defense should be greatly improved, as the more experienced second-line player and Danielle Hunter returned from neck surgery. Chicago needs Justin Fields to start immediately and perform well in order for the Bears to win the NFC North.The Lions might be NFC worst team.
Forecast: Green Bay
NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -240, New Orleans Saints +440, Atlanta Falcons +850, Carolina Panthers +1200
Pirates are the class in this department. The Super Bowl champion brought back every starter on either side of the ball. For the defending NFC Southern Champion Saints, this is not the case. Injuries will not only leave Michael Thomas out for a long time, but the Saints have lost several defensive starters and the now retired Drew Bliss. Tom Brady can easily become the best quarterback in the department, and now he can get better because he has a year in Bruce Arians’ offense. If James Winston continues to be easily intercepted, the Falcons or Panthers may lead the Saints to second place.
Forecast: Tampa Bay
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers +190, Los Angeles Rams +200, Seattle Seahawks +280, Arizona Cardinals +600
NFC West is the best division of the NFL. Arizona is a strong contender for the playoffs, and the top three teams have legitimate Super Bowl wishes. So why is the Seahawks’ odds of winning significantly lower than the 49ers and the Rams? In the past ten years, Russell Wilson has been the league’s most automatic player. The quarterback played every game and achieved a record of victory in all nine of his NFL seasons. Despite Seattle’s defensive instability and poor performance in November, Wilson led the Seahawks to 12 victories and division championships in 2020. Matthew Stafford gave Los Angeles high expectations. If Jimmy Gallopolo or Tre Lance is above the average this season, San Francisco may be the top team in the NFC West.
Forecast: Seattle
2021 NFC final ranking
1) Tampa Bay
2) Green Bay
3) Seattle
4) Dallas
5) Los Angeles (wild card)
6) Minnesota (wild card)
7) San Francisco (wild card)
Photo: Dylan Bull/Getty Images
