When you win eight straight division titles and have totaled at least 12 victories in the last seven, then you should probably be an overwhelming favorite according to oddsmakers. That is certainly the case for the New England Patriots, who are -500 favorites to take home their ninth consecutive AFC East title.
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
New England leads the charge of divisional favorites heading into the 2017 season, and rightfully so. After pulling off a remarkable comeback in Super Bowl 51 to win their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Pats are the team to beat again this year. But two other NFC squads are strong chalk to win their respective divisions as well.
The Seattle Seahawks are listed at -350 to win the NFC West for the fourth time in five years while the Green Bay Packers are -140 to take the NFC North for the sixth time in seven seasons.
The Seahawks have less competition than any team in the league, with only the Arizona Cardinals likely to challenge them as the +300 second choice. The Los Angeles Rams (+1200) and San Francisco 49ers (+1800) are way behind both teams and are expected to be among the worst in the NFL again.
For the Packers, the Minnesota Vikings are a solid +225 second choice behind them, with the Detroit Lions sitting at +425 and the Chicago Bears even further back at +1200.
The NFC East and South are expected to be far more competitive, although the Dallas Cowboys (+115) and Atlanta Falcons (+170) are still favored to repeat in their respective divisions.
No division in the AFC has four quality teams than can win it. The closest race in the AFC could come in the AFC South, where the Houston Texans are +175 favorites to win it for the third year in a row. As bad as the Jacksonville Jaguars have been recently, they have a shot at +550, with the Indianapolis Colts (+200) and Tennessee Titans (+225) in between.
In addition, the AFC North and West look to be three-team races. The Oakland Raiders are favored to win the AFC West at +150 over the Denver Broncos (+210) and Kansas City Chiefs (+250). In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers are +110 chalk to win their second straight division title, with the Baltimore Ravens (+175) and Cincinnati Bengals (+250) looking to stop them.
