Every year it seems that the New England Patriots are the odds-on favorite to win the division. As much as the other teams try, that’s usually been the case for the past decade. However, it now appears the gap is beginning to close a little bit—at least from an odds standpoint. To this point, this week on the AFC East Roundup we look at each team’s odds to win the AFC East.
The New England Patriots are still ahead of the pack, with their odds ranging from +100 to +130. The Cam Newton signing gave them a boost because before that they were topping off at +130. It is fair to consider the Patriots the favorites in the division because even though they lost Tom Brady, they still have their Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick leading the charge. The team also still has very talented players such as Stephon Gilmore returning to seek yet another division trophy.
On their tails are the Buffalo Bills, whose odds range from +135 to +150. Buffalo was neck in neck with New England—the two flip-flopping between number one and number two at times—but it was ultimately the Newton signing that moved the Bills into the runner-up position. Buffalo is returning a lot of key players on offense and defense but the key will be if the offense can put enough points on the board. There were times last season when the defense did their part but the offense just couldn’t break through to gain some separation.
The New York Jets are predicted to end up in third with their odds ranging from +700 to +825, This team does have the potential but it will be up to quarterback Sam Darnold to take that elite jump going into his third season. The status of safety Jamal Adams is up in the air as he has requested a trade that would be a huge blow to the defense if he were to leave. There have also been signs of turmoil surrounding the chemistry of the team and the players’ relationships with head coach Adam Gase so it’s unclear how productive the Jets will be.
Rounding out the group are the Miami Dolphins ranging from +800 to +1000. This is considered another rebuilding year for the team but they still have the opportunity to win a lot of games. Head coach Brian Flores revamped the secondary by adding some big names at cornerback, and the team showed at the end of last season that they have the talent and belief to knock off some teams.