Phil Agius
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At least 2 AFC North teams have made the playoffs in each of the last 3 seasons (3 did in 2020-21) and the division looks one of the strongest in the NFL again this year.
The Cincinnati Bengals are the clear top dogs after back-to-back division wins on their way to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game respectively, but they may not have such a sizeable advantage over the rest of the division as some observers believe. They can expect to be pushed all the way this year by the Ravens, Browns and Steelers, and not necessarily in that order.
Let’s take a closer look at all 4 AFC North teams, with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, and don’t forget you can read all our preseas0n picks via our NFL Betting Guide.
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Baltimore Ravens (+235)
All Ravens fans and staff want to see this season is a full year by their strongest team. The men from Maryland have seen their campaigns fade in the last two years due to injuries to quarterback Lamar Jackson, while they have also burned through an insane amount of veteran running backs. If they get some luck on the medical front, they could be in business as new offensive coordinator Todd Monken has the potential to provide some pizzazz in that department and rookie Zay Flowers has been drawing rave reviews. A number of reliable veterans have departed on defense, though, and while the Ravens will be contenders if everything falls into place, it’s hard to put faith in Jackson being there when it matters.
Make sure you also check out our Baltimore Ravens team preview
Cincinnati Bengals (+150)
As the Buffalo Bills have showed, just because you go close to challenging the Chiefs as the best in the AFC, it isn’t easy to sustain it. The Bengals might be able to fight their way through for a third straight AFC Championship Game against Kansas City, but it’s far from guaranteed, especially with the Ravens and Browns both in shape to give them a tougher time in the division this year. The Bengals have lost some key players from their secondary and there are still questions for their offensive line to answer. At plus-money, they still look a fair bet to take the division again, but it might not be easy for Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and co. this time.
Make sure you also check out our Cincinnati Bengals team preview
Cleveland Browns (+380)
You can’t accuse the Browns of not doing whatever they can to get back to the playoffs after a 2-year absence. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coordinator Mike Preifer were both fired after last season, when the Browns should still have finished better than 7-10 despite the 11-game suspension of QB Deshaun Watson. Meltdowns such as throwing away a 13-point lead with less than 2 minutes left against the Jets will lead to moves such as those. GM Andrew Berry has provided new DC Jim Schwartz with some much-needed D-line help in Dalvin Tomlinson and Za’Darius Smith, while Elijah Moore looks set to provide a spark on offense. The team can’t afford to waste any more prime years of Myles Garrett and Nick Chubb and there will be no excuses if they aren’t significantly better this time around.
Make sure you also check out our Cleveland Browns team preview
Pittsburgh Steelers (+450)
Some commentators are high on the Steelers proving to be better than the odds suggest this season after some preseason promise from Kenny Pickett and his crew, but it won’t be easy for them to challenge in this tough division. Mike Tomlin did a fantastic job to preserve his record of never having a losing season after last season’s 2-6 start and the shrewd coach makes a habit of defying expectations and sending out a competitive team. Looking at the rosters of the 4 AFCN teams, though, it’s hard to have the Steelers even close to coming out on top.
Make sure you also check out our Pittsburgh Steelers team preview
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AFC North division predictions
Cincinnati Bengals (11-6)
Cleveland Browns (11-6)
Baltimore Ravens (10-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-10)
AFC North best bet: Cleveland Browns to finish 2nd (+300)
The bet that stands out to me in the AFC North is the attractive odds of +300 for the Browns to take 2nd place. It’s certainly less of a leap to take than to go for a marginally bigger (+380) payout by backing them to win the division for the first time since the team returned to the league in 1999. With this bet they can afford to fall short of catching the Bengals and just have to have enough to get ahead of the Ravens and Steelers, which should be realistic given their improvements at quarterback and on the defensive line this season. Watson’s first full season with the team will be interesting to watch with teams no longer able to concentrate on stopping Nick Chubb.
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