AFC North

The AFC North division is made up of 8 Super Bowl Championships and 14 AFC Championships. This division is full of rivalries that want nothing more to prove that they’re the top dogs of the division. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the top dogs of the division for many years running, winning a total of 23 Division Championships, no other team in the division has been able to reach double-digits in division titles. The Steelers have won the most Super Bowls in the division, with 6 Championships the only other team to compare is the Baltimore Ravens with 2 titles.

These two are the only teams in the division who’ve ended up winning a Super Bowl Championship. The Steelers have a roster that is loaded enough to compete with any team and is poised for a playoff push once again. Whether or not the Ravens decide to end their three-year playoff drought depends on how they can handle one of the toughest road schedules in the league (they’ve only managed eight road wins in the past three years).

A healthy Joe Flacco and a stronger support cast around him, the Ravens will dominate homes games and have a couple upsets on the road. The Bengals have a predicated record of 8-8 due to them having 3 of their first 4 games on the road with the suspension of linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Having the leagues worst offense can’t be easy to cope with, however, there is some hope with the trade for left tackle Cordy Glenn brought some promise to their fans. Not even the Cleveland Browns can step back after a winless season. Even with a veteran quarterback, improved receivers, and more talent throughout the roster, it won’t be enough to compete for a playoff spot.

• Baltimore Ravens | 2018 Betting Guide
• Cincinnati Bengals | 2018 Betting Guide
• Cleveland Browns | 2018 Betting Guide
• Pittsburgh Steelers | 2018 Betting Guide

AFC West

The AFC West is one of the most well-rounded divisions over the past 20 years. There’s been a total of 7 Super Bowl Championships, and 16 AFC Championships. Both the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders have each won 3 Super Bowl titles, while Kansas City Chiefs have won 1 Championship.

This season the Broncos roster still looks a little thin to compete for the AFC West title, however, it’s predicted that they will get back to at least .500 (they haven’t had a losing record since 1971-1972). The Chiefs need to keep their heads up and get past their most difficult start to the season, they’ll play 4 road games against The Steelers, Chargers, and Patriots. If they can survive past this tough start then the rest of their season will be easier and they’re predicted to win at least 10 games for their fourth consecutive season.

The Chargers finished their last season with 9 wins out of their last 12 games (after going 0-4 at the start of the season). Playoff teams will face an early challenge for them, their coach Anthony Lynn states they’ll have the advantage of continuity in a year of transition for the rest of the AFC West. The Raiders are up and down throughout the season, whether it being game schedules or starting their season with 4 games out of Oakland. A year after playing a franchise record five prime-time games, the Raiders are under the lights four times in 2018.

• Denver Broncos | 2018 Betting Guide
• Los Angeles Chargers | 2018 Betting Guide
• Kansas City Chiefs | 2018 Betting Guide
• Oakland Raiders | 2018 Betting Guide

AFC East

Known as the most recent “powerhouse” division the AFC East holds 8 Super Bowl Championships and a total of 19 AFC Conference Championships. The New England Patriots have won 5 Super Bowl titles alone in this division. They’ve dominated their bracket by finishing first 14 times since 2002. They’ll be expected to finish at the top of the bracket again this season. The AFC also produced 3 other Super Bowl Champions, the Miami Dolphins with 2 Super Bowls and the New York Jets with 1 Super Bowl.

The start of the Bills season isn’t looking good as they play 5 of their first 7 games on the road, then return home to face the long-dominant Patriots…2018 will probably require a bounce-back season. With the return of Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins look to bounce back from a lost 2017 season, the Dolphins feel like a middling team teetering on another rebuild. Late-season games against the Patriots, Jaguars, and Minnesota could determine their season.

If everything goes as planned the New England Patriots will be able to make their patented late-season push. Their season prediction is 11-5 which is actually below the team’s normal standard, this takes into account the five of the team’s first nine games are scheduled for prime time. While still rebuilding the New York Jets are heading into their third consecutive losing season and eight consecutive years out of the playoffs, in other words, when do they start playing in 2019?

• Buffalo Bills | 2018 Betting Guide
• Miami Dolphins | 2018 Betting Guide
• New England Patriots | 2018 Betting Guide
• New York Jets | 2018 Betting Guide

AFC South

The AFC South has had trouble performing at the same level as the other divisions. The Indianapolis Colts are the best in the division with 2 Super Bowl Championships and 2 AFC Championships but unfortunately are not predicted to win either the Super Bowl or Conference Championship. Most of the Colts success heading into the 2018 season will hinge on Andrew Luck’s availability, it’ll be a challenge for the Colts through their rebuilding process this season.

If the Texans can avoid any injuries that plagued them last season, they’ll be among the most talented teams in the NFL this season. With the returns of J.J Watt and Whitney Mercilus, and the additions of Tyrann Mathieu and Aaron Colvin the Texans team should be able to compete healthily this season. We’ve confirmed that the Tennessee Titans have one of the easiest schedules, as well as favors from the NFL with only one road back-to-back, a bye after their London trip, and ending the season with two home games against 2017 non-playoff teams. At a minimum, we’re predicting they will reach playoffs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are predicted to become the AFC South Champions for a repeat of last season, the offense has been improved with the addition of Andrew Norwell and ranked as the fifth highest scoring of the 2017 season.

• Indianapolis Colts | 2018 Betting Guide
• Tenessee Titans | 2018 Betting Guide
• Jacksonville Jaguars | 2018 Betting Guide
• Houston Texans | 2018 Betting Guide

NFC North

The conference of cold weather and snowed out games, the NFC North has 5 Super Bowls in their history. With 4 going to the Green Bay Packers who supposedly have the toughest schedule this season on paper. The Packers also have a chance for a fast start with three out of their first four games at home and could finish strong with three December home games if they can survive a tough middle stretch (we’re predicting a record of 11-5).

The other Super Bowl Championship going to the Chicago Bears, who upgraded their offense with Allen Robinson and Trey Burton during the offseason. Chicago’s strength remains in their defense led by veteran coordinator Vic Fangio. Tough start to the season facing Green Pay and Seattle, but their schedule lightens up considerably starting Week 3 (predicted record 7-9). The Detroit Lions have taken under a new coaching staff under Matt Patricia, however, are still expected to deliver the same mediocre results Detroit has seen over the past few years.

The Lions still face too many holes in the offense (the line and run game) and far too many questions in their defensive line (pass rush and interior line) for them to be anything special this year, but the draft could change this (predicted record 9-7). The Minnesota Vikings enter the season with the league’s reigning top defense (they face Green Bay, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia) and get a break toward the end of the regular season with Miami and Chicago at home int he final 3 weeks. They’ll aim to capitalize on their dominant home-field advantage after losing only four games at U.S. Bank Stadium since it opened in 2016 (predicted record 10-6).

• Green Bay Packers | 2018 Betting Guide
• Chicago Bears | 2018 Betting Guide
• Detroit Lions | 2018 Betting Guide
• Minnesota Vikings | 2018 Betting Guide

NFC East

No conference in the NFL has been stronger than the NFC East, with 13 Super Bowls and 22 NFC Championships, they have more Super Bowl rings spread out among their teams than any other division in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys have won the most Super Bowl titles with 5, however, their offseason has not been great with free-agent losses and the release of Dez Bryant. We’re predicting a season record of 10-6, only because in recent years when the season looked like a “bust” to the Cowboys they’ve responded otherwise (2014 – 2016).

The New York Giants have a brutal seven-game stretch to open the season which will be tough to navigate. We’ve predicted a season record of 8-8 since there are some winnable games towards the back end of the season. The defending Champions return with 19 of 22 starters and will be fueled by a talented group of players coming off injury led by Wentz and Jason Peters (who stress that Super Bowl hangover is not an option).

The Eagles begin their title defense against the Atlanta Falcons, their schedule is no cake walk as they face seven teams that made the postseason last year. We’ve predicted an 11-5 season for the defending champs. The Redskins feel they’ve upgraded their quarterback with Alex Smith over Kirk Cousins, but the results of this change are still yet to be seen. To improve overall, the Redskins need better health for key young players to develop (such as Josh Doctson), if these happen they could perform decently this season.

• Dallas Cowboys | 2018 Betting Guide
• New York Giants | 2018 Betting Guide
• Philadelphia Eagles | 2018 Betting Guide
• Washington Redskins | 2018 Betting Guide

NFC South

With the least amount of Super Bowl titles in the history of the conference, The New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have both won 1 Super Bowl each (they’re the only teams in the conference who’ve won). The Atlanta Falcons have a tough start to the season facing the defending champions in Philidelphia. They turn around with back-to-back home games against the Panthers and Buccaneers, followed by another home game against the Bengals. The main focus for the Falcons seems to be the division race as they close the season at Carolina and Tampa Bay (predicted record 9-7).

The schedule-makers apparently believe that the NFC South division title will be between the Carolina Panthers or New Orleans. The two meet in Charlotte during Week 15 and then conclude the season in New Orleans in Week 17, these games could be the difference between which team goes 10-6 and 11-5 (predicted record 10-6 for the Panthers). Expectations remain high for the New Orleans Saints, as long as they can buck their trend of slow starts over the past four years. New Orleans must take advantage of their early schedule because their final 10 weeks are loaded with playoff contenders (predicted record 11-5).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost seven games last season in a one-score game with five decided by three points or less in overtime. It’s not impossible to see a rebound from 5-11 in 2017 to a record of 8-8 in 2018, that’s only if they’re able to take care of business in the NFC South. With Jameis Winston healthy and improved chemistry with DeSean Jackson, and a fully revamped defensive line this draft could go a long way (predicted record 8-8).

• Carolina Panthers | 2018 Betting Guide
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2018 Betting Guide
• New Orleans Saints | 2018 Betting Guide
• Atlanta Falcons | 2018 Betting Guide

NFC West

The West division has seen its fair share of Super Bowl experience, the division combines 13 Super Bowl appearances and a total of 7 Super Bowl Championships. The Arizona Cardinals do not start their season off great as they’re predicted to be under .500. They have stretches of difficulty in both halves of their season, with their late stretch containing; Green Bay, Atlanta, Los Angeles Rams, and the Seahawks. It will be a tough finish to the season for Arizona (predicated record 6-10). Los Angeles Rams are looking great as they start their season with five prime-time games and 3 of out 4 of their first games at home. They’ll get a taste of what a true first-place schedule feels like (predicated record 12-4).

San Francisco 49ers have the buzz going for them due to their 5-0 finish last season, which lots to prove the 49ers have a manageable schedule and one that is particularly team-friendly on the back end of the season. If the 49ers have a strong draft and manage to keep their quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in good health they’ll perform as expected (predicated record 10-6). With the Rams as a clear favorite to win the division, the Seattle Seahawks are not to be forgotten of what they have — such as Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson (QB), all pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, and one of the best safety in the league Earl Thomas (predicated record 8-8).

• Arizona Cardinals | 2018 Betting Guide
• Los Angeles Rams | 2018 Betting Guide
• San Francisco 49ers | 2018 Betting Guide
• Seattle Seahawks | 2018 Betting Guide

No surprise here, the favorite in the NFL to win the Super Bowl are the Patriots. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick prove an amazing history with New England, making them one of the top three teams in the league. With Brady nearing his retirement it’s only natural that they’ll give it all to stack up as many rings as possible. With their previous track record in the recent years, why would they not be one of the first predictions for Super Bowl 53?

The Defending Champions naturally have to be considered as one of the favorites to give the championship another run. But especially this year as the Eagles are returning with 19 of 22 starting players from their Championship season, and will once again have that depth in the quarterback position. At this point, we can only assume that the Eagles regardless of which quarterback will play will find success between them.

When you hear the word underrated think Minnesota. This season they’ll have one of the most dominating defense lineups in the league and will return with a talented offense led by Kirk Cousins. They have Dalvin Cook healthy returning to the backfield and are definitely being slept on right now by the community. They have one of the most well-rounded teams in the league and are going to prove it to everyone.

Despite last season’s injuries, Aaron Rodgers will be healthy and that is not sounding good for competitors. Don’t forget Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league and with a healthy squad of receivers who knows the damage that they could do this season. We believe the Packers won’t have any trouble making it to the playoffs by the way their roster is looking. The Packers will face their competition in dominating the NFC North, as the Minnesota Vikings have one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers has a lot riding on him ‘being the difference’ the Packers are looking for in order to take them back to the Super Bowl.

The Steelers are without a doubt one of the top teams in the NFL this year and one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LIII. Currently, they have some contract issues going on with Le’Veon Bell that will need to be monitored. They’re still sitting with Ben Roethlisberger as a quarterback, and compete in one of the more favorable divisions. They’ve been considered a contender for the league the past 5 years and running.

Rumor has it the Rams are building something special down in Los Angeles! Coming from one of the bottom teams they’ve worked their way back up to the top and have the roster to back it. With a young team of talent like Jared Goff (QB), Todd Gurley (RB), and Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp as WR’s, they’re ready to show the league what they’re made of. They’ve also been busy boosting up their defensive line by picking up Ndamukong Suh and Aqib Talib. The Rams are looking very good this year and are estimated to be one of the most valued teams in the league.

As seen in Super Bowl LII it is possible to build a winner without the star quarterback everyone expects, it just requires an infrastructure. We’ve seen this between the Eagles and Vikings, their successful run in the playoffs came from having enough stability throughout the rest of the depth chart to withstand a talent drop-off at the QB position. Both teams benefited from a collection of dangerous pass catchers and the innovation of standout play-callers.

Another component here is that each of the three aforementioned teams fielded terrific defense in the 2017 season Great defense, complete supporting casts, and schemes conducive the quarterbacks’ success.

This year’s playoff field included a variety of teams that hammered away at the worst parts of their roster right from the get-go during the offseason. We’ve seen a perfect example from the Philadelphia Eagles whos two biggest weaknesses were their corners and receivers. They responded by signing Jeffery and Torrey Smith as the team’s outside catching threats.

The Eagles shored up the corner spots by trading Darby and signing Patrick Robinson to a one-year deal, as well as picking up both Sidney Jones (43rd overall) and Rasul Douglas (99th overall). No one would have guessed the Eagles success prior to the season, or have any clue on how much influence those picks would have towards the teams season.