2024 AFC East Division Odds: Bills Slight Favorites
Division Expected to Be Up For Grabs
Whichever teams come out of the AFC East should be pretty battle-tested once the NFL playoffs roll around. The division is expected to be a three-horse race, with Buffalo, Miami and the Jets battling for the title. Another rebuilding year looks to be in the works for New England. The 2024 AFC East division odds have Buffalo as the slightest of favorites. The Dolphins and Jets are right on their heels and then there’s a huge gap to New England.
2024 AFC East Division Odds
Buffalo Bills +175
The Buffalo Bills won the division last season with an 11-6 record and will be a contender once again this season. The Buffalo defense doesn’t get the credit they deserve, but they were a big part of last year’s division title. The Bills made a few moves during the offseason. Mitch Morse was let go in cost-savings move, Stefon Diggs was traded and Gabe Davis wasn’t resigned. Diggs will affect the team the most. Regardless if he caused distractions in the locker room or not, he still had 107 receptions for 1,183 yards.
The Bills do return most of their key cogs, including Josh Allen, who saved the team $16 million by restructuring his contract. Allen is second in the NFL MVP odds at +800. The defense will have to be up to the challenge once again this season. The loss of Diggs could hurt the offense a little bit, but probably not all that much. The Bills being smaller favorites than previous years has more to do with Miami and the Jets are expected to be better than it does Buffalo trending downward. Buffalo at +175 offers the best value of any of the four teams.
Miami Dolphins +185
The Dolphins are +185 in the 2024 AFC East division odds after finishing tied with Buffalo last season, but the Bills won the tie-breaker. Miami was the highest-scoring team in the AFC last year, although the defense left a bit to be desired. The Dolphins had a bit of a revolving door on the defense, with several players leaving in free agency and several coming in. The offense is going to be fine. It’s the defense that will again be a concern. Miami will need the new guys like Jordan Poyer, Shaq Barrett, and Jordyn Brooks to play the way they’re capable of.
The Dolphins ended the season on a down note, losing their last two regular-season games. That sent them to Kansas City in the playoffs in the frigid cold, where they lost 26-7. Miami will ride the offense to the postseason but needs better defensive play if they want to do anything once there. You can’t expect to win NFL games by scores of 31-27 on a consistent basis.
New York Jets +185
The 2024 AFC East division odds on the Jets are a bit lower than expected. Sure, Aaron Rodgers will be an improvement on who the Jets used last season, but banking on a 40-year old quarterback after missing nearly an entire season is asking a lot. The Jets defense isn’t bad, although it may get a little too much credit. New York allowed 44 more points than Buffalo last season. It’s a very good defense, but not necessarily a great one. At least not yet.
The Jets brought back tackle Morgan Moses, picked up defensive end Haason Reddick, and signed Tyrod Taylor to back up Rodgers. Those are three decent football moves. With the drafting of Olumuyiwa Fashanu at No. 11, the Jets are working hard to get the offensive line up to par. New York could very well battle for a playoff spot and even win the division, but at +185, there’s no betting value there.
New England Patriots +2500
The Patriots tied with Carolina for being the lowest-scoring team in the NFL, so it’s no surprise their first five draft picks were used on offense. The NFL scores showed New England losing 10-7, 10-6, and 6-0, so an overhaul of the offense was needed. Drake Maye is listed as No. 2 on the preseason depth chart, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start. Whether it’s Maye or Jacoby Brissett, the offensive line must do a better job.
The defense played pretty well considering how inept the offense was. The Patriots allowed 21.5 points per game and gave them a chance to win a few games they didn’t. New England will need the defense to continue to play well. The offense will get a little better, but it won’t happen overnight.
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