2023 NFL Futures Bets: Division Winners Odds & Predictions
We have gathered insights from five seasoned BettingPros analysts who share their best bets for each NFL division. By harnessing their expertise and analyzing the odds, we aim to provide you with valuable predictions to enhance your understanding of the division winners’ landscape.
Andrew Erickson, Derek Brown, Pat Fitzmaurice, Joe Pisapia, and Ryan Wormeli have carefully assessed the teams’ performances, roster compositions, and off-season developments to make informed predictions. With their extensive knowledge and experience in the realm of NFL betting, they offer insights that can help you make informed decisions when placing your future bets.
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Best 2023 NFL Futures Division Winners Bets
Here’s a look at each of our featured analyst’s predictions and best bets for the winner of each division. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
AFC East
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Miami Dolphins | 300 |
| Fitz | Miami Dolphins | 300 |
| DBro | Miami Dolphins | 300 |
| Joe | New York Jets | 250 |
| Worm | Buffalo Bills | 125 |
I know you're getting the worst odds picking Buffalo as they enter the season favored to win the AFC East. But they *should* win the division, and our goal here isn't to bet on the loser that gave you the best odds; it's to bet on the winner. The Bills looked like an elite team to start last season, then they fell off a bit as key pieces went down with injuries right and left, including a Josh Allen elbow issue that lingered into the postseason. But they look healthy now, and when healthy, Buffalo is a top 4 team in football. I can't bet on Miami, given the questions surrounding Tua's long-term health, and I'm not buying the Jets with a geriatric Aaron Rodgers. As long as the Bills are getting plus money to win a division they've easily controlled for three straight years, I'm happily betting on them.
-Ryan Wormeli
The Dolphins can take the AFC East if Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy. Miami went 7-4 in the 11 games Tagovailoa played at least 90% of the snaps. This roster has the talent to win 11-plus games this year. The passing attack is still lethal as ever, and the ground game could get another boost shortly (Dalvin Cook). With Jalen Ramsey and Vic Fangio now in South Beach, the defense can improve upon their 15th and 25th rankings last year in defensive DVOA and pass defense DVOA (per Football Outsiders). Miami could be a well-rounded juggernaut this year.
-Derek Brown
The Jets’ defense is already playoff-caliber. They were 29th in the league in PPR games. Aaron Rodgers is not who he once was, but he’s enough to get them to the top of this division, especially with Buffalo coming back to the pack defensively.
-Joe Pisapia
AFC North
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Baltimore Ravens | 275 |
| Fitz | Pittsburgh Steelers | 600 |
| DBro | Baltimore Ravens | 275 |
| Joe | Cincinnati Bengals | 120 |
| Worm | Baltimore Ravens | 275 |
Based on Super Bowl and win totals futures, the Ravens are looked at as something like the 8th-best team in football, according to Vegas. Yes, the Bengals are deservedly ranked higher, but getting +275 for a Baltimore team that could theoretically look like one of the NFL's elite teams this year is a pretty stellar value. The defense was a top-5 unit last year after the Roquan Smith trade, and if Lamar Jackson stays healthy, most fans would expect a top 5-10 offense this year as well. How many teams enter 2023 with realistic expectations of being top 10 in each of offense, defense, and special teams? Again, Cincinnati is the deserving favorite in this division, but the gap in their odds is too big, considering the Ravens arguably have the advantage in every category other than passing offense.
-Ryan Wormeli
I know the odds aren’t sexy, but Joe Burrow is, and my money is on him to once again take the Bengals to the top of the AFC North. The losses on defense are troubling, but the offense is good enough to overcome them.
-Joe Pisapia
The Steelers went 7-2 after their bye week last season and ranked sixth in DVOA over that stretch. Kenny Pickett may indeed be the worst starting quarterback in the division, but Pittsburgh has a tough defense and significantly upgraded its offensive line in the offseason. And let’s not forget that head coach Mike Tomlin has a regular-season winning percentage of .636 in his 16 years with the Steelers and has never finished below .500. The Steelers wouldn’t be my first choice to win the AFC North if every team had the same odds, but I love Pittsburgh at this price.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
AFC South
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Tennessee Titans | 375 |
| Fitz | Jacksonville Jaguars | -160 |
| DBro | Jacksonville Jaguars | -160 |
| Joe | Jacksonville Jaguars | -160 |
| Worm | Jacksonville Jaguars | -160 |
The Jaguars should finish at the top of the AFC South heap on the back of their ascending franchise quarterback. Trevor Lawrence guided the squad to tenth in total yards and points per game last season. With the addition of Calvin Ridley and Tank Bigsby and another year in Doug Pederson’s offense, Jacksonville can improve on those numbers.
-Derek Brown
If Ryan Tannehill doesn’t get hurt, the Titans would have won the division in 2022. Sure, they’ve got a ton of issues across their roster, but Mike Vrabel has consistently proven he can get the most out of his squad with Tannehill under center.
-Andrew Erickson
AFC West
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Kansas City Chiefs | -160 |
| Fitz | Kansas City Chiefs | -160 |
| DBro | Los Angeles Chargers | 325 |
| Joe | Kansas City Chiefs | -160 |
| Worm | Kansas City Chiefs | -160 |
If I am betting -160 on a division favorite in the summer, I am putting my money on Patrick Mahomes. Not the Jacksonville Jaguars, who won the division in the final week of the 2022 season. Mahomes is 27-3 versus the AFC West in his NFL career.
-Andrew Erickson
The Chargers can contend for this division if their defense can keep up with the offense. Despite a battered skill depth chart last year, the Bolts were ninth in total yards and 13th points per game. With Justin Herbert under center and Kellen Moore directing the ship, expect the Chargers to repeat as a top-five pass rate over-expected team (fourth last year) while pushing the pace. Los Angeles has the firepower to go toe to toe with any offense. If the defense can repeat its top-tier pass defense (tenth in pass defense DVOA) and improve its run-stopping ability (28th in rushing yards per game allowed), this team can win 11-12 games.
-Derek Brown
NFC East
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Philadelphia Eagles | 110 |
| Fitz | Dallas Cowboys | 115 |
| DBro | Philadelphia Eagles | 110 |
| Joe | Philadelphia Eagles | 110 |
| Worm | Philadelphia Eagles | 110 |
The Eagles might be a slightly better team, but the Cowboys offer slightly better value at their longer odds. Dallas went 12-5 last season, finished +125 in point differential, and nearly knocked off the 49ers in San Francisco in the playoffs. The addition of CB Stephon Gilmore adds more star power to a terrific defense led by unblockable edge rusher Micah Parsons, and the Cowboys have ample talent on offense.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
Philadelphia played in the Super Bowl just a few months ago, and acquired the best overall player in the NFL Draft with savvy draft moves by GM Howie Roseman. This team is stacked on both sides of the ball, and I have no fear that a Mike McCarthy-led Dallas team is going to catch them. I just can’t believe their odds to win the NFC East remain at plus odds.
-Andrew Erickson
NFC North
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Chicago Bears | 400 |
| Fitz | Minnesota Vikings | 300 |
| DBro | Chicago Bears | 400 |
| Joe | Detroit Lions | 145 |
| Worm | Minnesota Vikings | 300 |
We see this all the time. Every year a team goes from worst to first in their division. Considering all the improvements the Bears have made to get the most out of third-year quarterback Justin Fields, betting on Chicago at +400 is by far my favorite plus-money bet.
-Andrew Erickson
The Lions will be playing with expectation for the first time, but I think they are balanced enough to respond to the challenge and played with a lot of heart down the stretch. The division is weak, and the Lions are poised to bite kneecaps and climb to the top of the NFC North.
-Joe Pisapia
I can’t give any team in this division anything other than a tepid endorsement, but I like getting +300 odds on the defending NFC North champs. The Vikings have plenty of flaws, but it’s weirdly impressive that they were able to go 13-4 last season despite being outscored by three points in the regular season. Credit head coach Kevin O’Connell and his team for consistently pulling out close games. Again, this is a lukewarm endorsement at best, but if the Vikings can mask their issues with pass coverage and special teams, they have a good chance to keep their division crown.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
NFC South
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Atlanta Falcons | 220 |
| Fitz | Carolina Panthers | 375 |
| DBro | New Orleans Saints | 130 |
| Joe | Atlanta Falcons | 220 |
| Worm | Carolina Panthers | 375 |
It’s the league’s worst division, with question marks up and down all the teams. I want to take advantage of the unknown by betting on the team that improved dramatically in free agency and through the NFL Draft. And let’s not forget that the Falcons scored the most points in the division last season, with Marcus Mariota at the helm through the vast majority of the year.
-Andrew Erickson
Betting on the Panthers is more about picking the lesser of four evils than it is about a strong belief in the roster. But the NFC South is clearly set to be the worst in football this year, and somebody has to win, so why not the team with (in my opinion) both the best coaching and the best quarterback? There are really talented pieces on a defense that gets a huge upgrade with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and head coach Frank Reich finally gets a franchise quarterback with top overall pick Bryce Young. I have questions about Young's long-term viability in the NFL, given his size, but he pairs well with Reich and is immediately the second-best QB in the division, at worst, behind Derek Carr. And are we really scared of Derek Carr? At the very least, I'd much rather bet on a Young-led team at +375 than I would a Carr-led team at +130.
-Ryan Wormeli
New Orleans managed to win seven games last year with voodoo magic. The offense was a shell of its former self, and the offensive line was beaten up throughout the season. Despite ranking tenth in points per game and EPA per play allowed, the defense couldn’t drag the team to a winning record. With Derek Carr in town, a healthy Michael Thomas, and skill position reinforcements (Kendre Miller, Jamaal Williams, and Foster Moreau), the Saints’ offense could help this team muster 9-10 wins and take down a weak division.
-Derek Brown
NFC West
| ANALYST | TEAM | ODDS |
| Erickson | Seattle Seahawks | 210 |
| Fitz | San Francisco 49ers | -160 |
| DBro | Seattle Seahawks | 210 |
| Joe | San Francisco 49ers | -160 |
| Worm | Seattle Seahawks | 210 |
Never mind the murky QB situation. The 49ers are the class of the NFC West and have no discernible weakness. In 2022, they ranked inside the top 10 in every category of DVOA except rushing offense (11th) and special teams (15th). They were No. 2 in overall DVOA, behind only the Bills. San Franciso’s defensive front seven is absurdly talented, and the 49ers have an embarrassment of riches at the offensive skill positions (well, except quarterback). I see them winning this division by at least two games.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
The first off-season NFL wager I placed was on the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West. Their division is very weak between the Rams/Cardinals, and the 49ers have major question marks at quarterback. Call me skeptical that Brock Purdy, off a major elbow injury, can replicate an insane TD rate. There's an argument that Seattle boasts one of the most complete teams in the NFC.
-Andrew Erickson
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