2013 Odds to win the AFC North

The AFC North is easily the most competitive division in the conference with three of the four teams just about equally favored to win the title this season. Baltimore is coming off a Super Bowl win which carries its own unique challenges to repeat and Pittsburgh's once-vaunted defense could be considered in a rebuilding mode so it is no longer a given that one of these two perennial favorites will win the North this year.

The third team in the mix is the Cincinnati Bengals, who have qualified for the playoffs the last two seasons as one of two wildcards in the AFC. They boast a solid defense against both the pass and the run to go along with a young gun at quarterback in Andy Dalton, which could very well signal the changing of the guard at the top of this division.

The following is a link to an article that takes a closer look at all four teams in the division in terms of their current odds to win the AFC North in 2013 as part of an ongoing series for Bang the Book.

2013 Odds to win the AFC North

AFC South - Key Player Transactions for the 2013 NFL Season

After taking a look at the futures odds to win the AFC South this season in my previous post, I decided to stay with this division to take a closer look at some of the key additions and losses for all four teams as part of an ongoing series for Sporting Charts.

Houston made an immediate splash by adding veteran safety Ed Reed from Baltimore which should hopefully provide some much needed leadership to a unit that struggled down the stretch last season.

The Colts let Dwight Freeney sign with San Diego, but they turned to the draft to add defensive lineman Bjoern Werner from Florida State to plug a hole up front.

Jacksonville needs major help on both sides of the ball after winning just two games last season and it took a step in the right direction by starting with its offensive line. The Jaguars selected Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel with the second overall pick in the draft.

Another Ravens' safety has relocated to the AFC South with Bernard Pollard signing with Tennessee. The Titans also added running back Shonn Green from the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick from Buffalo to add some depth on offense.

The following is a link to the complete round-up of AFC South offseason transactions as originally posted on Sporting Charts.


AFC South - Key Player Transactions for the 2013 NFL Season

2013 Odds to Win the AFC South

The Houston Texans have won the AFC South the past two seasons and are favored to win it again in 2013, but the up and coming Indianapolis Colt might just have something to say about that. Behind the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts went from winning just two games in 2011 to 11-5 and a wildcard spot in the playoffs last season. The big question heading into the 2013 campaign is what direction do they go from here. The dreaded 'sophomore slump' has taken its toll on some other high-profile quarterbacks in the past so the pressure will be on Luck to take another step forward in 2013.

As part of an ongoing series, I am taking a deeper look at the current odds for all 32 NFL teams in terms of their chances of winning their division this upcoming season. The following is a link to the latest installment as previously posted on Bang the Book covering all four teams in the AFC South.

2013 Odds to Win the AFC South

2013 Odds to Win the AFC West

Most of the major sportsbooks have already released their futures odds for every NFL team's chances to win their division in 2013. As part of an ongoing series for Bang the Book, I am starting out west in the AFC to take a closer look at all 32 team's individual odds. While I am not ready to make any out-and-out bold predictions, you can easily tell which way I am leanings as to which team I believe will end up on top in each of the eight divisions.

Not to jump too far ahead as the NFC East will be the last division I will be previewing, the Eagles have been opened as the fourth-favorite in a division of four teams. All I can tell you right now is that the Birds will be finishing much better than that so stay tuned.

The following is a link to my first installment as previously posted on Bang the Book.

2013 Odds to Win the AFC West

AFC West - Key Player Transactions for the 2013 NFL Season

Since free agency has pretty much been picked over and the college draft is in the books, I have decided to go division-by-division to highlight some of the key additions and losses for all 32 NFL teams as part of an eight-part series for Sporting Charts. Starting in the AFC with the West, I will save the best for last by finishing things up with the NFC East.

The following is a link to my first installment as originally posted on Sporting Charts.

AFC West - Key Player Transactions for the 2013 NFL Season