Odds to Win AFC North: Betting Odds and Predictions

Three of the National Football League’s 10 new coaches have taken up residency in the AFC North disrupting a streak of continuity maintained by two of the top clubs. After winning the division title last season the Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with Mike Tomlin after nearly two decades and zero losing seasons. It’s a tough act for Mike McCarthy to follow.

The Baltimore Ravens are undergoing a cultural shift after letting John Harbaugh go after 18 seasons at the helm. Despite that the Ravens are the NFL betting favorite to win the AFC North crown with a healthy Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor is now the longest tenured coach in the division and his Bengals are close second to Baltimore in the division odds race.

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AFC North Division Overview

Historically known for coaching stability, the AFC North division underwent unprecedented turnover during the offseason with successful franchises Baltimore and Pittsburgh making changes at the top. The veteran rosters of those franchises should absorb most of the sting from the coaching changes. The team that didn’t make a change came close after going 6-11 last year. The Bengals retained Zac Taylor and are hopeful a healthy Joe Burrow can change the trajectory.

Former Super Bowl champions with the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy is reunited with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh for one last go. A three-time NFL MVP, Rodgers has said this is his final season convinced of one more tour after the club hired McCarthy. The coach/QB combo was together for over a decade in Green Bay producing nine playoff appearances and the Super Bowl XLV title.

AFC North Teams

The AFC North division houses all three of the pre-merger NFL cities, who joined the American Football Conference to even out the number of teams in each conference.

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers

Why the AFC North Race Matters

• Winning the AFC North guarantees a team a top-four seed in the conference playoffs and a home game in the wild card round, if that team doesn’t finish as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
• For almost two decades the AFC North was defined by its coaching stability. Three teams have to rebuild their identity with new coaching staff in place.
• With three teams finishing below .500 last season, the AFC North is looking to regain its reputation as a powerhouse division.

AFC North Odds to Win the Division

The Baltimore Ravens are the football betting favorite with the lowest odds to win the AFC North entering the 2026 season. However, with plenty of changes to coaching staffs and rosters, what was long considered a premier division in the NFL enters the training camp cycle completely wide open. Cincinnati is close behind as the second favorite with Pittsburgh a longshot to repeat as AFC North division champions.

Current Odds to Win AFC North

The state of the AFC North race hinges on how the quarterback situation for every club plays out. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson is healthy looking to improve the team’s 8-9 record from a season ago that led to John Harbaugh getting fired. The Bengals were 5-3 last year in games Joe Burrow started; they went 1-8 in games he missed. Those players can impact the division odds race.

• Baltimore Ravens +100
• Cincinnati Bengals +162
• Pittsburgh Steelers +500
• Cleveland Browns +1550

AFC North Odds Movement

• Public bettors are aggressively backing a healthy Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the NFL futures market keeping them around even-money to win the AFC North.
• The Browns have the longest odds to win the AFC North but they were getting some respect from bettors. Their odds ballooned following the trade of superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett.
• Despite finishing first in the AFC North standings last season, the Steelers have dropped to a heavy longshot with a new coaching staff and 43-year-old Aaron Rodgers at QB.

AFC North Standings and Recent Results

Pittsburgh took advantage of injury situations to Baltimore and Cincinnati ending the Ravens’ two-year run as AFC North division champions with a 10-7 record last season adding to their record number of division titles. For the first time since realignment in 2002 three of the four AFC North teams finished with a losing record.

It could be parity within the division of just a failure of the teams to catch up with the rest of the NFL, but three times in the last eight seasons the AFC North winner finished with exactly 10 wins. In 2021 the Bengals won the division at 10-7 and reached the Super Bowl losing to the Rams 23-20.

Latest AFC North Standings

• Pittsburgh finished atop the AFC North standings last season at 10-7, the fewest wins among any AFC division champion.
• Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland all ended the campaign with a losing record, the first time since 2002 three AFC North teams finished with a losing record.
• For the first time in six seasons only one division team qualified for the NFL playoffs.

What the AFC North Standings Tell Us

• The 2025 AFC North standings tell us that the division endured a historic, injury-plagued year with only one team finishing with a winning record.
• Baltimore went 8-9 but had a higher point differential (+26) than division winner Pittsburgh (+10) proving they have a dangerous roster of players.
• Three losing teams triggered an overhaul of coaching staffs around the AFC North with Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland all making changes.

AFC North Team-by-Team Breakdown

The turnover in coaching staffs with three of the AFC North teams is a hot topic entering the season, but what will define the division once the games begin is how the quarterbacks for each team play. There’s no question some of the best players in the league are in the division and how they rebound will affect the AFC North predictions.

Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow are keys to their team. Both suffered through injuries last season and the results were painful. Keeping those guys on the field will increase their chances of winning more games. There’s more to winning, though, and every AFC North team suffered defensive breakdowns, forcing changes on that side of the football as well.

Though they finished 8-9 last season, the Ravens boasted the highest point differential in the division and the return of healthy Jackson along with a rebuilt defense has positioned Baltimore as the AFC North odds favorite entering the 2026 campaign.

Baltimore Ravens Division Outlook

After 18 seasons of John Harbaugh the Ravens will undergo a culture shift with new coach Jesse Minter. Minter has plenty to work with in his first season including a healthy Lamar Jackson, who is poised to return to his MVP form, and an impressive roster. Derrick Henry is the focal point of the ground game and the club acquired pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to improve a group that fell below Baltimore standards last season. The favorite to win the AFC North, the Ravens are also on the second tier of Super Bowl favorites.

Cincinnati Bengals Division Outlook

The primary challenger to the Ravens in preseason NFL betting odds is Cincinnati, opting for continuity by retaining coach Zac Taylor. The team’s success relies entirely on the health of Joe Burrow, who missed a majority of last season. Burrow led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl a few years ago and the team was 5-3 in games he started last season. The offense is elite with Burrow at the helm but the defense needs to improve after finishing 30th in points per game allowed.

Pittsburgh Steelers Division Outlook

After 19 seasons without a losing record, the Steelers parted ways with Mike Tomlin giving the gig to Mike McCarthy. Pittsburgh was a surprise, finishing at the top of the AFC North standings at 10-7 last season, taking advantage of injury-marred campaigns from Baltimore and Cincinnati. The team is gambling on the partnership of McCarthy and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers working out. The two had a successful run in Green Bay winning a Super Bowl and Rodgers is motivated after claiming this is his final season.

Cleveland Browns Division Outlook

Once again the Browns are starting at the bottom after tearing down the foundation. At least new coach Todd Monken understands the AFC North after three years as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. Finding a QB to run his up-tempo offense is a challenge with Deshaun Watson still lingering and Shedeur Sanders yet to prove himself as a NFL-caliber signal-caller. And the club traded away its most recognizable player, sending DPOY Myles Garrett to the Rams in a summer blockbuster.

AFC North Stats to Know

Long known for its defensive style of play, the AFC North had a down year in 2025 in that department. All four teams allowed more than 22 points per game with the Bengals finishing third from the bottom conceding nearly 500 total points. It wasn’t a good season for the Browns on the AFC North stats page leading to a full reset. They scored the second-fewest points per game in the NFL and their -100 point differential was the worst in the division.

With Joe Burrow in the lineup the Bengals were a contender to place at the top of the AFC North standings. They went 5-3 in the eight games he started scoring more than 30 points five times. When he wasn’t in the lineup the Bengals managed just one win leaving them with their worst record in five seasons.

Key Offensive Stats

• Known for their powerful run game the Ravens led the AFC North and finished second in the NFL with 2,662 rushing yards last season.
• Three different quarterbacks started at least four games for the Browns last season. They had the second-worst pass attack in the NFL and the QBs combined to throw more interceptions than TD passes.
• Aaron Rodgers had his best season since winning his third MVP award completing nearly 66 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Key Defensive Stats

• Cleveland had the most efficient scoring defense in the AFC North last season allowing a division-low 22.3 points per game. The unit will be impacted by the trade of Myles Garrett.
• The Bengals ranked 30th in the NFL in 2025 allowing an average of 28.9 points prompting a massive overhaul on that side of the football.
• Pittsburgh and Baltimore ranked among the bottom four in the NFL in pass defense last season

AFC North Predictions

Advanced metrics show the Ravens weren’t bad but rather unlucky last season. The injuries caught up and a weak secondary was exposed. Better health, including that of Lamar Jackson, has the Ravens as the team to beat in the AFC North predictions. Still, with all the turnover on team rosters and coaching staffs the division should be tight.

Best Bet to Win AFC North

• At their price the Bengals are considered the best value bet to win the AFC North.
• Cincinnati is the only team in the division with the same coach/QB combo which should give them an edge over the other teams.
• The key is Joe Burrow playing an entire season. When he does the Bengals have two AFC North titles giving them plenty of value for an elite QB.

AFC North Sleeper Pick

• Getting 5/1 odds on a division winner in a tight AFC North gives rare value to the Steelers.
• With an aging quarterback and a coaching reset, Pittsburgh slipped down the AFC North odds.
• The Steelers addressed their pass defense woes and upgraded their receiving corps giving Rodgers weapons he didn’t have a season ago.

AFC North Team to Avoid

• Another coaching change and trading away their defensive cornerstone puts the Browns as the AFC North team to avoid.
• There isn’t much going on at the QB spot with no definite starter entering camp. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will battle for the starting job.
• The trade of Myles Garrett for younger players and draft picks is an indication the Browns are looking to the future

Factors That Could Decide the AFC North

Coaching changes with three of the four AFC North teams and the health of Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are key factors that will determine AFC North predictions. Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland all have new coaching staffs and schemes with the team adapting the quickest holding an edge. The Bengals have continuity at coach but the health of Burrow is paramount to their success. They were just 1-8 in games Burrow did not start a season ago.

Quarterback Play

• The Bengals have the advantage of a continuous relationship with Burrow and coach Zac Taylor.
• Aaron Rodgers is reunited one final time with former Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy. The duo produced many successful seasons and a Super Bowl win in their previous tenure.
• Cleveland has a chaotic QB situation with no definitive starter between veteran Deshaun Watson and youngsters Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.

Strength of Schedule

• Cleveland has the easiest schedule in the NFL with opponents combining for a .429 winning percentage last season.
• Every AFC North team will benefit from playing the NFC South and AFC South in this year’s cycle giving them several matchups against rebuilding franchises.
• The Bengals also get a third-place schedule facing same-place teams from a year ago. With key players back and a revamped defense, Cincinnati can take advantage.