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2018 NFL Betting Futures: Patriots Favorites in the AFC East Odds

The New England Patriots may find it tougher to advance to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, but winning the division appears to be as easy as it has been the previous nine seasons when they have taken the AFC East title. The Patriots are strong -650 favorites (bet $650 to win $100) to win the division for the 10th consecutive year, according to AFC East odds. This is mostly because their competition has weakened.

Who Are The Favorites In The AFC East Odds?

New England remains the team to beat in what could be the weakest division in the NFL. Quarterback Tom Brady is now 41 and continues to age, and a couple of his top weapons in the past are either gone or suspended. Leading rusher Dion Lewis (896 yards) was signed by the Tennessee Titans as a free agent. Julian Edelman, who was the Patriots’ leading receiver in 2016, has been suspended the first four games of 2018 for violating the league’s banned substance policy. Edelman also missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Still, Brady is a leading NFL MVP contender and the reigning MVP. The Patriots are still the class of the AFC East. 

Can Buffalo and Miami Close The Gap?

Last preseason, oddsmakers thought the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills could make some noise in the AFC East. The Bills made good on that belief by qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Ultimately, the Bills fell 10-3 on the road to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round after finishing the regular season at 9-7.

However, Buffalo decided to make a quarterback change in the offseason, sending Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns in a trade. Then, they signed AJ McCarron as a free agent and selected Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Bills are the +1100 third choice (bet $100 to win $1100) to win the division this year. This is due to inexperience at such a key position, with Allen likely to take over at some point.

The Dolphins went 6-10 in 2017. Much of that can be blamed on the loss of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a torn ACL before the opener. Tannehill was replaced under center by veteran Jay Cutler, who was inked out of retirement. Cutler did the best he could to salvage what was another disappointing year in Miami. The Dolphins let former All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh go to the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent. They also traded wide receiver Jarvis Landry to the Browns. Despite those moves, Miami is still the +1000 second choice to win the division.

Will The Jets Avoid The Basement?

The most surprising team in the AFC East besides Buffalo a year ago had to be the New York Jets. They were picked by many to be among the NFL’s worst teams. While the Jets ended up at 5-11, they started last season at 6-2-1 against the spread. New York was competitive in most games thanks to solid defense. This saved the job of head coach Todd Bowles for at least another year. Not surprisingly, the Jets are the +1500 fourth choice again to win the division.