Ladies and gentlemen, we are in September, meaning the new NFL season is just around the corner. The Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning champions and will be honored to raise the curtain on the new campaign in Thursday Night Football action against the Detroit Lions.
The champs are also the main favorites to go all the way this time around, but they will have more than one challenger in what is expected to be a super-exciting battle for the prestigious Vince Lombardi trophy.
US sportsbooks have come up with all sorts of odds for futures bets in both team and player market departments. We have gone through the most popular American online betting sites to compare the lines and see where those value bets are hidden.
We will now share our thoughts and predictions for the winners of each division and also let you know where to find the longest odds for these picks in the process. Conference and Super Bowl picks can also be found below.
Learn More: Expert NFL Picks and Predictions
1. New York Jets to Win the AFC East (+270) with BetRivers
Buffalo Bills are still the AFC East frontrunners, but the likes of the Jets and the Dolphins will give them hard times in the race for the division title.
Our money is on the Jets to start performing immediately with the new shiny toy in town. Aaron Rodgers has come to New York and the Jets’ season expectations have plummeted as the team is in for the most anticipated campaign in decades.
Robert Saleh’s men have a very difficult schedule to deal with in the first six weeks. If they can enter the Week 7 bye with a positive record after facing the likes of Buffalo, Dallas, Kansas City, and Philadelphia, only the sky is the limit.
The odds are too good to ignore, especially since the Bills have made changes within their personnel. Both Miami and New England may have some shiny moments of their own, but we don’t see them as the AFC East contenders. The Week 1 clash between Buffalo and New York will give us a lot of answers. The Jets’ win would significantly shorten these attractive +270 odds.
Bet on the Jets To Win the AFC East at +270 odds with BetRivers »
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2. Cincinnati Bengals to Win the AFC North (+155) with BetMGM
Many experts will say this is the strongest division in the NFL, and it is very hard to deny it. You have the likes of Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson as three top-notch quarterbacks, while Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record as a coach in the NFL (16 years).
That being said, we have to stick with the Bengals, who have one of the biggest stars in the league in the like of Joe Burrow. Burrow has not been surrounded by a better offensive line in either of his two inaugural years in Cincinnati.
Knowing he has already led this team to a Super Bowl and a conference championship game in successive years, we just have to back him for the AFC North three-peat at plus odds.
Bet on the Bengals To Win the AFC North at +155 odds with BetMGM »
3. Tennessee Titans to Win the AFC South (+350) with BetRivers
You are probably surprised to see the Titans as our top AFC South contenders but hear us out. Last year, Tennessee had an injured quarterback and very limited options among receivers.
These Titans made it to Week 18 alive for the division title in a game in which they were a single play from beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in crunch time. They ended up losing after a Joshua Dobbs fumble.
Nevertheless, Tennessee is back with a healthy Ryan Tannehill and a massive boost at receiver following the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins.
Moving forward, the Titans will not face the likes of San Francisco, Buffalo, or Kansas City at all this season, unlike the division’s main favorites, the Jaguars, who will have to battle each of these three outfits. We just have to try with this pick at the sky-high +350 odds.
Bet on the Titans To Win the AFC South at +350 with BetRivers »
4. Kansas City Chiefs to Win the AFC West (-165) with DraftKings
Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are searching for their third, and, as much as we’d like, it is very hard to look past their dominance in the AFC West. The rest of the pack has transitioned personnel in an attempt to catch up with the Chiefs, but they are still pretty far from the main Super Bowl candidates.
We know there is not much value in the -165 odds for a futures pick, but we have the Chiefs at 15 projected wins ahead of the upcoming campaign, meaning the options for potential big-value maneuvers are as narrow as they can get.
Bet on the Chiefs To Win the AFC West at -165 odds with DraftKings »
5. Philadelphia Eagles to Win the NFC East (-120) with BetMGM
Philadelphia Eagles started the last season 13-1 and looked like the best team in football all until the fourth quarter in the Super Bowl LVII. That is when Patrick Mahomes did his magic to take the Chiefs to a 38-35 win.
Normally, we would expect teams to fall after such a heartbreaking defeat, but there is nothing to point toward such a scenario regarding these Eagles.
They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, like Jalen Hurts, and they have a devastating pass rush. You will struggle to name a better two-way team in this league.
As much as we expect the Dallas Cowboys to have a strong campaign with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Tony Pollard, our money is still with the Eagles at the -120 odds with BetMGM.
Bet on the Eagles to Win the NFC East at -120 with BetMGM »
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6. Detroit Lions to Win the NFC North (+140) with BetRivers
Aaron Rodgers is no longer with the Green Bay Packers, and this is finally a Lions’ division for the taking. The Motor City team has gathered a solid offensive line, but their Aidan Hutchinson-led stop unit will take them to the division crown.
Besides the season opener against the Chiefs, Detroit has a very favorable schedule all up until the final three games of the season. We have them winning all but two games from Week 2 to Week 13. The bye week will also come right in the middle of the season, allowing the team enough time to regroup.
The Lions have not won a playoff game since 1992. You must feel the energy in and around Ford Field now when they finally have enough talent on both sides of the ball to be legitimate NFC North contenders, and we must say this is one of our favorite picks at the attractive +140 odds.
Bet on the Lions to Win the NFC North at +140 odds with BetRivers »
7. Carolina Panthers to Win the NFC South (+500) with DraftKings
This is probably the biggest longshot you will see in the whole article, but we genuinely feel there are no legitimate favorites in the NFC South. The sportsbooks give much higher chances to the likes of the Saints and the Falcons, but we would by no means underestimate the Panthers, who are ready to shine with the new quarterback at the helm.
Five distinct quarterbacks have led Carolina in passing since David Tepper bought the team five years ago. They finally seem to have found their long-term project by acquiring Alabama’s top prospect, Bryce Young.
Young is already arguably the best starting quarterback in the division. He will have decent support from the offensive unit, while the defensive line should have enough energy to cope with the lowly NFC South sides. The value is certainly there at the +500 odds.
Bet on the Panthers to Win the NFC South at +500 with DraftKings »
8. San Francisco 49ers to Win the NFC West (-165) with BetMGM
Alongside the Chiefs in the AFC West, this is the safest future pick you can take. San Francisco does not have a genuine rival in this division.
The Cardinals and the Rams will hardly get to a double-digit number of wins combined this year, while we expect the Seattle Seahawks to tumble down to earth after their surprising playoffs push in 2022. The 49ers are still among the very best teams in the league, and they should cruise to the title in this division.
Bet on the 49ers To Win the NFC West at -165 odds with BetMGM
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9. Cincinnati Bengals to Win the AFC Championship (+550) with BetRivers
The Bengals have been dominant in the AFC over the last couple of years. They made it to the Super Bowl two years ago and to the AFC Championship game last season.
Knowing they are even stronger going into the 2023 campaign, we have to consider them the main favorites (alongside the Chiefs, who are not worth backing at shorter odds) to go all the way. We will take the Bengals to win the conference at the +550 odds.
Bet on the Bengals to Win the AFC Championship at +550 odds with BetRivers »
10. Philadelphia Eagles to Win the NFC Championship (+325) with BetRivers
Philadelphia Eagles conquered the NFC last year and went on to lose the Super Bowl LVII in a dramatic fashion against the Kansas City Chiefs.
While many expect them to regress and show the post-Super Bowl loss hiccups, we trust Jalen Hurts to take this team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith will cause any defense trouble, while Philadelphia’s stop unit is still among the best in the league.
Bet on the Eagles to Win the NFC Championship at +325 with BetRivers »
11. Cincinnati Bengals to Win Super Bowl LVIII (+1000) with BetRivers
It is very hard to select between Cincy and Philly in a potential Super Bowl encounter, but we will go for the Bengals to bring their maiden Vince Lombardi trophy to Ohio. If anyone deserves a win, it is them.
Cincy suffered two heartbreaking defeats to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI and the Chiefs in last year’s AFC Championship game. Joe Burrow finally has the best roster he has ever gotten to play with in Cincy.
Orlando Brown Jr. will represent a massive addition on the left tackle as both Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are ready for career years. BetRivers has the Bengals at +1000 to win their inaugural Super Bowl.
Those who fancy huge longshots can also go for the exact forecast and back the Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl at the whopping +4000 odds with DraftKings. Obviously, this is a very difficult market to land, but we thought we’d share it to back our Super Bowl projections.
Bet on the Bengals to Win the Super Bowl LVIII at +1000 odds with BetRivers »
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