The National Football League is made up of 32 teams who are split into two conferences. One is called the NFC (National Football Conference) and the other is the AFC (American Football Conference). Each conference has 16 teams and four divisions: East, West, South and North. Each conference has its own set of seeding and playoff structure. The teams that win each conference end up in the Super Bowl. Bettors are able to bet on who will win the AFC Conference, and we are here to help you understand the odds to win the AFC divisions and conference championship and ultimately, make AFC betting decisions that will cash in 2019.
Understanding The AFC Odds
Before we dive into the AFC breakdown, let’s do a quick recap of how to read the odds. When you’re planning to bet the division or bet the conference, you’ll see a team name with odds next them. Let’s use the AFC East odds as an example:
2018 Odds To Win The AFC East
New England Patriots -1000
Buffalo Bills +800
Miami Dolphins +1200
New York Jets +1500
If you see a minus sign in front of the odds, that indicates how much you’d bet to win $100. In this case, you would bet $1000 on the Patriots to win $100. As for the plus sign, that shows how much you’d win if you bet $100. So for the other three teams, you’d win $800, $1200 or $1500 if you bet them and they won. You don’t have to stick to those numbers but understanding that gives you an idea of what your payout will be betting on each team.
Odds To Win The AFC Division In 2018
Here is a break down of each AFC division, and their odds to win the AFC Conference Championship:
2018 Odds To Win the AFC East
New England Patriots -600
Miami Dolphins +500
New York Jets +1000
Buffalo Bills +20000
No surprise here, but the Patriots are still the favorites to win the division. They have won the AFC East nine straight times and in 15 of the last 17 seasons. The Dolphins now have the second-best odds in the division as they moved from +1200 to +800, while the Bills moved from +800 to +1200. New York’s odds improved to +1000.
2018 Odds To Win the AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers +150
Cincinnati Bengals +200
Baltimore Ravens +240
Cleveland Browns +1200
Pittsburgh is still a heavy favorite to win the AFC North, and Mike Tomlin’s team has won the division in two of the last three seasons. The Ravens dropped from +175 to +375, while the Bengals and Browns are still long shots.
2018 Odds To Win the AFC South
Jaguars +125
Texans +150
Titans +280
Colts +350
Jacksonville has emerged as the favorite to win the AFC South. Earlier in the year, the Texans were the betting favorites, but the Jaguars have now surpassed them. Last year, the Jags won the AFC South and they nearly made it to the Super Bowl. Tennessee and Indianapolis aren’t far behind the two presumed favorites in the division.
2018 Odds To Win the AFC West
Chargers -120
Chiefs +225
Raiders +260
Broncos +325
Los Angeles is an even stronger favorite to win the AFC West now as they have moved from +125 to -120. Kansas City, who had the longest odds earlier this year, is now second at +225. The pressure will be on new quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Oakland dropped from +175 to +260, and Denver dropped from +250 to +325.
Odds To Win The AFC Conference
Here are each team’s odds to win the AFC Conference Championship in 2019.
Odds To Win the AFC In 2019
Strategy Of Betting AFC Futures
Futures bets are a type of NFL betting line based on an event that will be decided further down the road. For example, the odds to win the division or odds to win the conference, as we’ve mentioned above. There are a few important strategies to keep in mind when you’re betting these. Let’s go over them, so that you have a better chance at winning your bet:
Note How The Team Finished The Season – Seeing how the team finished the previous year is a telltale sign how they’ll perform in the coming year (assuming the roster is similar). For example, a young team that won five games to the end the season could carry that momentum over. Or a team that lost seven of their last eight games could be foreshadowing even greater struggles. Keep an eye on the momentum of the teams and how they finished the previous season.
Track The Offseason Changes – There’s plenty of movement in the NFL, so keep your finger on the pulse. Some teams will fire coaches and change their entire team philosophy. Some teams are on the right track and will merely add to what they have. Monitor the news from free agency as well as the NFL Draft. Teams can acquire key players that can change the course of their season. If you’re paying attention, that makes it easier to predict.
Know The Strength Of Schedule – Once the annual schedule is released, every team’s strength of schedule gets graded. That’s important to track because some teams will play easier schedules and some will have harder foes to matchup with. For example, the Miami Dolphins will play the New England Patriots twice in a season. That figures to be much more challenging than a team playing the Cleveland Browns twice. Take note of who has an easier or more difficult schedule as that’s important for betting futures.