AFC North Division Odds, Picks and 2022 Preview: Ravens to Be 3rd Different Division Champion in Last 3 Years

Mike Spector

Last Updated: July 4, 2022 4:23 AM EDT • 2 min 38 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 12: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during warm-up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Jason Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The Cleveland Browns made the most noteworthy offseason splash of any AFC North team by inking Deshaun Watson to a five-year $230M contract after trading for him. However, with pending lawsuits and a possible suspension looming, Watson’s status and availability will go a long way in determining the futures odds and picks to win the AFC North in 2022.

The AFC North nearly ended a nine-year drought without a Super Bowl champion, as the Cincinnati Bengals won the conference but lost 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. Of the eight preseason favorites to win their respective division in 2022, the Baltimore Ravens have the second-worst odds (+160 via DraftKings Sportsbook), which sets the division’s futures odds up to be highly lucrative to bettors who can identify the correct champion.

Here are our picks and predictions to win the AFC North title in 2022 based on the odds from our top-rated sportsbooks.

AFC North Title Odds

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AFC North Title Picks

Ravens to win the division (+160 via DraftKings)Bengals to miss the playoffs (+118 viaFanDuel Sportsbook)Steelers Under 7 regular-season wins (+105 via DraftKings)

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AFC North Division Preview

Ravens to win division (+160)

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1543240576849420290

Arguably no team was hit by the injury bug worse than the Baltimore Ravens last season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four straight games to end the season, and cornerback Marcus Peters missed the entire season. With some better luck on the health front, we project them to be the class of the division in 2022.

In addition, the team had to sign veteran free agent running backs Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray after losing J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to early season-ending injuries. Looking ahead, Baltimore had what is widely considered the best offseason of any team in the division, adding safety Marcus Williams, signing right tackle Morgan Moses, and drafting safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum. Getting +160 odds on a team that has won 10 or more games in three of the last four years seems like a steal.

Bengals to miss playoffs (+118)

One would think we would be getting better odds for last year’s AFC champions to miss the playoffs the following year, but that is a testament to the yearly turnover among NFL playoff teams. While the Cincinnati Bengals looked like geniuses for drafting wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in 2021 to give QB Joe Burrow another weapon, they still come into this season with huge question marks on the offensive line.

We saw in the playoffs how Burrow was hobbled because of big hits, and if he is once again the most sacked quarterback in the league (he took an NFL-high 51 sacks last year), it will be almost impossible to stay healthy for 17 games. In addition, there is a lot of parity in the division, and making the playoffs will prove more challenging than a year ago when many things broke Cincinnati's way.

Steelers Under 7 wins

For the first time since 2004, the Pittsburgh Steelers will go into a season without Ben Roethlisberger as their starting quarterback. The team landed arguably the best backup quarterback in the league in Mitchell Trubisky but also drafted Kenny Pickett 20th overall, as he has more of the “quarterback of the future” label. Our best guess for how this quarterback situation plays out is that Trubisky starts early in the season while Pickett takes over mid-season.

We expect Pickett to go through some growing pains as a rookie, putting a ceiling on Pittsburgh’s success. The Steelers have a scheduling advantage over the rest of the league as the only team that does not change time zones this season. Still, games at the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts, and a home game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make for a daunting schedule on top of six competitive divisional games.

2021 Division Standings

Bengals 10-7 (+2500 on Sept. 9)Steelers 9-7-1 (+425)Browns 8-9 (+150)Ravens 8-9 (+115)

Where to Bet on NFL Division Odds

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AFC North Division picks made on 7/3/2022 at 9:47 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Mike Spector

I have been in the sports writing industry for over three years, working for sites like BettingPros/FantasyPros, Oddschecker, and Sportsbook Review. In my first year writing for BettingPros, I finished with the #2 overall record in their annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an over/under and moneyline perspective. I am an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, and all college sports. In my opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and I am especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. I am a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." Follow me on Twitter for my best bets and commentary to go along with the wagers.