The 2019 NFL season is quickly approaching. Before the Packers and Bears kick off the new year on Thursday, September 5th, amateur football pundits can give their two cents (or more) on which teams are going to win each of the league’s eight divisions.
SportsBettingDime has created an NFL Divisional Odds for the 2019/20 season in a unique tracker which sets out the odds for all 32 teams to win a divisional crown in 2019. The odds range from the Patriots at -470 to win their 11th straight AFC East title, to the rebuilding Dolphins at +3100 to win that same division.
Based on last year’s results and what team’s did during the offseason, the current odds seem to be undervaluing two squads in particular.
Carolina Panthers: +500 to win the NFC South
The Panthers are only one year removed from an 11-5 campaign. When this team has a fully healthy Cam Newton under center, they are one of the bests of the NFC. It’s impossible to know whether Super Cam will be fully healthy for all 17 weeks of the year, but this is a roster that certainly has the upside to do a lot of damage.
New Orleans is an odds-on favorite to win the NFC South at -180, and the Falcons are second at +350. Carolina has a more complete roster than the defensively abject Falcons, and the Saints are relying on a relatively immobile 41-year-old QB (Drew Brees) who started to look his age at the end of last year.
At +500, the Panthers are certainly being overlooked.
Baltimore Ravens: +300 to win the AFC North
The Ravens won the North with a rookie QB (Lamar Jackson) last year, going 10-6. Yet, they are the third-favorite out of the four teams to win the 2019 title, behind the Browns (+120) and Steelers (+190).
Baltimore did indeed lose a lot off its defense, specifically Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith, and last but not least CJ Mosley. But they also added Earl Thomas, all All Pro safety, and addressed the pass rush in the draft.
By surrounding Jackson with more playmakers, such as Mark Ingram, Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, the Ravens have given their sophomore pivot all he needs to make improvements in his second year.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh present stiff competition, but there’s no reason to think this Baltimore team is too far behind them, especially after recording by far the best point differential in the division last year (+102).
