The AFC South could be one of the best division title races on the NFL futures board at BetOnline according to the posted odds.
Looking at the NFL futures odds at BetOnline to win the AFC South this season, all four teams have reasons why they can win the division title, and all four have reasons why they could be in for a long season.
Jacksonville Jaguars +175
The biggest challenge facing the Jaguars this season is playing up to expectations after breaking through the pack last season with a run all the way to the AFC Championship Game. They went 10-6 in that run to win the division coming off six-straight seasons with five wins or less. Jacksonville’s projected win total for 2018 is set at eight games with the betting odds favoring the OVER at -125.
Blake Bortles should be back at the helm as the starting quarterback of an offense that was fifth in the NFL in scoring last season with 26.1 points per game. The biggest strength on this side of the ball remains a running game that was first in yards gained (141.4) behind Leonard Fournette. The defense added rookie tackle Bryan Taven to a unit that was ranked second in points allowed (16.8).
Houston Texans +200
Houston should be right back in the race for the AFC South title after sliding to 4-12 in 2017. Major injuries to quarterback Deshaun Watson and defensive superstar JJ Watt derailed the Texans’ plans to repeat as division champs. If both of these standouts can quickly return to form and stay healthy for all 16 games, there is quite a bit of value in Houston’s odds to win.
Some of the other factors that could have a significant impact on the Texans’ chances is a running game anchored by Lamar Miller and DeAndre Hopkins matching last year’s numbers catching the ball with 96 receptions for 1,378 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Tennessee Titans +300
The Titans have the franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota and an All-Pro caliber running back in Derrick Henry, but they were still ranked just 19th in the NFL last season in scoring with 20.9 PPG. There were also some issues on the other side of the ball with a defense that ended the year ranked 25th against the pass.
This is a good team that just cannot seem to get over the hump with back-to-back 9-7 records the past two years. The encouraging part of last season’s run to a wildcard spot in the playoffs was the Titans’ 22-21 upset over Kansas City in the Wild Card Round as 8.5-point road underdogs. If Tennessee can successfully build off of that win, the value in its odds to win the division could be the best on the board.
Indianapolis Colts +550
Not that long ago the Colts would have been the clear favorite to win the AFC South with a healthy Andrew Luck under center. From 2012 in his rookie year, Indianapolis posted three-straight seasons at 11-5. He did not play a single down last season after injuring his shoulder in 2016, and the result has been a rapid decline to just four wins in 2017.
Question marks still surround Luck’s ability to return to the level of play he demonstrated very early in his career, and that adds even more question marks to the value in the Colts’ odds to get back on top in the AFC South. The addition of offensive guard Quenton Nelson early in the first round and linebacker Darius Leonard early in the second of this year’s draft is a step in the right direction, but this team’s fortunes in 2018 squarely rest on Luck’s reconstructed shoulder.
