Ravens Expected to Soar in AFC North Race Yet Again
Cincinnati Expected to Challenge Division Champ Baltimore in 2024 AFC North Division Odds
New Additions Derrick Henry, Patrick Queen Could Impact on AFC North Race
The NFL AFC North Division teams have a tough act to follow after all four teams finished with winning records during the 2023 season. The 2024 AFC North Division odds have the Baltimore Ravens favored to win the division for the second season in a row.
Cincinnati is happy to have a healthy Joe Burrow back at quarterback as the Bengals are the No. 2 pick in the 2024 AFC North Division odds.
Baltimore has the second-shortest odds at +450 behind only the reigning Super Bowl champion to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Cincinnati (+700) is tied for third and Cleveland (+2000) is tied for ninth at +2000 in the AFC championship odds. Tennessee is tied for the longest odds to win the AFC.
The Ravens will play at Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game on Sept. 5 in the first game of the 2024 regular season. The Ravens are 2.5-point underdogs.
The Bengals are nine-point favorites against New England in Week 1, the Browns are a slight home underdog against the Dallas Cowboys with the Steelers a 3-point underdog on the road against Atlanta.
Here’s a look at the NFL AFC North teams as they look to make it into the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens
- 13-4 in 2023
- Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Title Game
Baltimore added Derrick Henry, one of the top running backs to the NFL, to a backfield that includes dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson as the 2024 AFC North Division odds have Baltimore at +115 to win the division title.
The Ravens will benefit from tight end Mark Andrews being healthy after he missed seven games.
Rookie Devontez Walker joins a group of receivers led by Zay Flowers as the Ravens have all the pieces to be considered among the best NFL teams.
Baltimore could have one of the top defenses in the NFL yet again with linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamilton, and edge rusher Kyle Van Noy leading the returnees as the Ravens look to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl in the upcoming season.
When looking at the NFL best bets, the Ravens were tied for the fourth-best winning percentage against the spread during the 2023 season.
Four of the first five games for the Ravens will be against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals so it won’t take long to figure out if the Ravens are ready to make a run at the NFL championship.
Cincinnati Bengals
- 9-8 in 2023
- Missed the playoffs
The Bengals came into the season with dreams of a run to the Super Bowl. Even before Burrow suffered a season-ending injury, the Bengals struggled to string wins together.
It remains to be seen how much longer than the Bengals will have receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins catching passes from Burrow. Cincinnati Bengals already lost receiver Tyler Boyd to Tennessee. Tight end Mike Gesicki is one of the newcomers.
Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins joins a front seven on defense that includes Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, B.J. Hill, Germaine Pratt, and Logan Wilson.
- Cincinnati is second at +165 in the 2024 AFC North Division odds. The Bengals have -220 odds to reach the playoffs.
Sheldon Rankins on his first impression of the day-to-day work in Cincinnati: “It’s Super Bowl or bust…everything is geared towards February in New Orleans.”
The free agent addition at DT joined the Bengals offseason program this week. pic.twitter.com/sTfqsXDCkb
— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) June 4, 2024
Cleveland Browns
- 11-6 in 2023
- Lost to Houston in wild-card round
Who knows how the 2023 season would have played out had quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb had been able to play the entire 2023 season.
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco did an admirable job after Watson went down but he is now in Indianapolis.
Chubb and Jerome Ford could be an elite 1-2 punch at running back. Amari Cooper, key offense acquisition Jerry Jeudy, and tight end David Njoku will try to help the Browns improve on offense.
- The defense, led by Myles Garrett, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Denzel Ward, and Juan Thornhill, could be elite once again. Expectations are a little lower for Cleveland as the Browns are priced at +550 to win the division title for the first time since 1989.
When taking a peek at the NFL betting trends, Cleveland Browns led all AFC teams with 12 games landing over the total during the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- 10-7 in 2023
- Lost to Buffalo in the wild-card round
The big news in Pittsburgh was the acquisition of former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson with former Chicago Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields also heading to Pittsburgh. Still, at +850, the Steelers have the longest odds to win the AFC North title.
Running back Najee Harris, receiver George Pickens, and tight end Pat Freiermuth all return but receiver Diontae Johnson is now in Carolina.
Linebacker Elandon Roberts made an immediate impact in his first season with the Steelers. T.J. Watt is coming off a 19-sack season while cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had a brilliant rookie season.
Pittsburgh Steelers was 5-1 in division games in 2023. Can the Steelers repeat that success in 2024?
- Expect former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen to make an immediate impact in 2024. Pittsburgh could offer good value at +160 to reach the playoffs.
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