2023 NFL Divisional Predictions | Betting Insights & Picks

NFL Divisional Predictions for 2023

We generally like making divisional bets a decent part of our futures outlook and will do the same again as we approach the 2023 NFL regular season. With all the grandiose stands we make on teams and players, it’s nice to be able to make a divisional bet—a sort of middle ground for those who want to take a less-severe stand or accentuate their more-extreme bets with some reasonable hedges. Depending on the odds, winning a bet on a team taking the division can insulate you from that team not performing as well as expected in the playoffs.

This bet allows you to also narrow the scope of things to consider. To place a Super Bowl or conference-winning bet, you’re taking a large group of teams into consideration. With a divisional bet, you have the team you pick and three other teams to consider, and it’s just a tidier way to handicap an outcome. And yes, it won’t pay as well as a Super Bowl winning bet, obviously, but if you think a team will be good, it’s very beneficial to lock up the first part of them succeeding before that team ends up in the postseason where the stakes are high, the teams are better, and anything can and will happen. Here are our divisional picks! (All odds by Bovada – Home of the most incredible live betting platform on the planet!)

NFL Divisional Picks

AFC East: The previously easiest division to pick has become one of the hardest. Former division kingpin New England (+750) is now bringing up the rear, with the Bills (+120), Jets (+260), and Dolphins (+300) looking good entering the new season. One can understand the position of the Dolphins and Jets, who now have Aaron Rodgers in town to commandeer a rising offensive unit. And from a value standpoint, a pick on either of those teams is likely the strongest move. However, I sense a Bills push this season in what should really be a high-urgency season for Buffalo, who should do enough to win the AFC East for the fourth straight time.

Pick to Win the AFC East: Buffalo Bills at +120.

AFC North: Another competitive division where everyone is in there with a shot. Some might write off Pittsburgh at +525. Cleveland is at +370, with Baltimore coming in at +250. At +120 is a Cincinnati team that has made the AFC title game two seasons in a row while also looking for their third straight divisional title. When combining the fact that the Bengals are a team with unfinished business and they’re still at a peak state of hunger with the fact that Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh might struggle to take flight this season, it’s pretty hard to argue against Cincy at a plus-number in this proposition.

Pick to Win the AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals at +120.

AFC South: Here, we see a division where there is some separation. Prospects aren’t so rosy for the Texans (+750), Colts (+475), or a Titans team where the recipe for success has soured recently. That leaves a rising Jacksonville Jaguars team (-175) and the stone chalk to take down the AFC South division. Only the Chiefs are a bigger divisional favorite this season, speaking both to the Jags’ rise and how they really served notice over the second half of last year, even winning a playoff game, as well as the lack of optimism of their divisional rivals. It’s going to be hard to argue with this one.

Pick to Win the AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars at -175.

AFC West: Some people might see this as a two-team race, with both the Raiders (+1250) and the Broncos (+625) well behind both the Chargers (+300) and the Chiefs (-185), the biggest favorite among all divisional bets. It’s downright hard to go against the defending Super Bowl Champions, now looking for their 8th straight AFC West title. And while this could come to bite us, there’s something about the Chiefs’ extreme chalk and how they’re coming off a Super Bowl win that makes me think that it might be worth it to forecast the Chargers realizing something big this season at least enough to maybe nip the Chiefs in the divisional race. I’ll go with the Bolts in a value play.

Pick to Win the AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers at +300.

NFC East: After making the Super Bowl as a young team seemingly on the rise, the Eagles (-120) understandably lead the pack going into 2023, with the Cowboys getting some respect at +190 odds. Further back, we have the Washington Commanders at +1000, with the Giants, who were looking good earlier in 2022 with a 6-1 start, fetching a +650 quote. I see it being difficult getting behind either Washington or the Giants in this context, leaving longtime rivals Dallas and Philly as the choices. For me, a stance on Dallas would need to come at more-enhanced odds for me to entertain them supplanting the Eagles this season. The chalk looks to be the move.

Pick to Win the NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles at -120.

NFC North: The division where there might have been the most changes, this will be a different NFC North than what we’ve previously known. We see the Lions as the favored team, something you don’t often see, with Detroit favored at +140. Odds-wise, in one of the more-competitive divisions, the longest shot is Chicago at just +400, with Green Bay (+330) and Minnesota (+275) right in the mix. Detroit does look like a team poised to blossom, but with odds that might be a bit too optimistic for a team that has forever been mired in the dumps. Those teams don’t always find it super-easy to take that next step. I think the value might lie with the Vikings, where their high-powered offense and solid coaching could get them over the hump in a division that is up for grabs.

Pick to Win the NFC North: Minnesota Vikings at +275.

NFC South: Another division with a lot of change, it seems Tampa will fade, getting a +625 quote. That leaves a trio of possible winners, led by top choice New Orleans at +130, who is hoping Derek Carr gives them what they need to get over the hump. Close behind are the Falcons at +220 and the Panthers at +330. I see this as being one of the more up-for-grabs divisions where a handful of different positions can be justified. The thinking here might be Carr won’t be enough to transform a team, and the Falcons might still need time. That leaves an admittedly-problematic Panthers team trying to develop top pick Bryce Young into a real force, along with a new coaching staff led by Frank Reich. The grit shown last year and the promise of newness could be enough to get the Panthers to first place in this troubled division.

Pick to Win the NFC South: Carolina Panthers at +330.

NFC West: The oddsmakers have reduced this division race to a two-team show, with the Rams (+750) and Cardinals (+2500) well behind defending division champ San Francisco (-175) and Seattle (+225). It’s unclear what would take Seattle and make them appreciably better than they were in 2022 when they seemed to get an awful lot out of what they have. The Niners are almost foolproof. Sure, they could sag, as any team could. But they always seem to thrive despite what usually amounts to a slew of personnel setbacks. With some better luck on that front. They could really be a force, and if someone is going to stop them, it probably won’t be anyone from this division.

Pick to Win the NFC West: San Francisco 49ers at -175. Bet your NFL futures wagers for FREE by scoring a massive 100% real cash bonus up to $300 when you enter promo code PREDICT100 while making your first deposit at MyBookie Sportsbook!