Next week, despite the fact that the teams have not enjoyed any competitive pre-season warm up games, the 2020 NFL Season will get underway as the defending Superbowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs will renew their rivalry with a team they beat on the way through the playoffs last season, the Houston Texans in the opening game of the season starting Thursday 10th September (early hours of the 11th September in the UK).
In this preview of the season, we are going to take a look at each of the eight different divisions in the NFL and predict which of the four teams in each will win the division and secure a playoff berth. We will also give you our tips for the two Wildcard teams in each conference as well as the two teams we think will contest the Superbowl, not least who will eventually win it.
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Let’s now preview each of the four divisions in both the AFC and NFC giving you our tips on who we expect to challenge for the top spot in each one as well as two teams that could make it through as a Wildcard team thanks to their overall season record.
AFC Divisions
All the odds shown in this article were correct with bet365 Sport as of 11.50am on Wednesday 2nd September 2020. My tip to win each division is highlighted in bold.
AFC North
- New England Patriots – 6/5
- Buffalo Bills – 6/5
- New York Jets – 17/2
- Miami Dolphins – 9/1
Is this the year one of the AFC North teams finally ends New England’s dominance of the division. With Tom Brady now in Tampa, the Bills look the team best placed to do that and having secured a couple of great off season signigns to add to an already talented team, I do feel the Bills have an excellent chance. It will be close and New England will push them hard, but I feel the Bills take this division by a single game. That said, I still feel New England will earn a playoff spot through the Wildcards.
AFC East
- Baltimore Ravens – 5/13
- Pittsburgh Steelers – 4/1
- Cleveland Browns – 11/2
- Cincinnati Bengals – 28/1
For me the AFC comprises of two tough divisions to call and two that seem to be set up for one team to dominate. This is one of the latter divisions with the Steelers and Browns still transitioning, the Bengals simply miles off the quality of the other teams and the Ravens head and shoulders the best team in the division. It would be a huge surprise if the Ravens didn’t win this division comfortably.
AFC South
- Indianapolis Colts – 6/5
- Tennessee Titans – 6/4
- Houston Texans – 7/2
- Jacksonville Jaguars – 25/1
Of all the divisions in the AFC, this is the toughest to call. The Texans have been the dominant team in recent seasons, but they have made a number of puzzling roster moves, the Jaguars are weaker despite finishing bottom of this division last season. The Colts have made the best moves in the off season and as such, I think they will just edge out the Titans for top spot, though I feel the Titans could clinch a Wildcard spot.
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs – 2/9
- Los Angeles Chargers – 15/2
- Denver Broncos – 9/1
- Las Vegas Raiders – 11/1
Can anybody stop the Chiefs reaching the playoffs once again this coming season? In a word, no I don’t think they can. The Chargers, Broncos and Raiders are three teams very much in transition at the moment and none of them can match the pure offensive talent on offer at the Chiefs. This should be a comfortable divisional win for the current Superbowl holders.
NFC Divisions
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings – 6/4
- Green Bay Packers – 17/10
- Chicago Bears – 21/5
- Detroit Lions – 11/2
Once upon a time this was a powerhouse division in the NFC, along with the East, but the fortunes of the teams in this division have fluctuated over the years and this season is a tough one to call. I actually feel the Lions may push hard this season and it may be the case that a 10-6 or even 9-7 record wins this division and I just think the Vikings have enough to get over the line.
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys – 4/5
- Philadelphia Eagles – 27/20
- New York Giants – 12/1
- Washington Football Team – 18/1
Another division that years ago was packed with talent but which has become something of a backwater in recent times. The Giants and Washington are well off the pace here and I think that the Eagles have too many holes on their roster and are too prone to injuries to their key players. As such, I think Cowboys fans will be celebrating top spot at the end of the regular season.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints – 10/13
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 8/5
- Atlanta Falcons – 7/1
- Carolina Panthers – 22/1
I think Tampa Bay will run hard in the NFC South this year with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski now on the roster, but I feel that ultimately, they may have to settle for a Wildcard spot behind the Saints who I feel are arguably the best offense in the NFC and who I think will not only win this division, but will also shine in the playoffs too.
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers – Evens
- Seattle Seahawks – 21/10
- Los Angeles Rams – 9/2
- Arizona Cardinals – 8/1
For me the NFC West is a two horse race as I can’t see the Cardinals or the Rams making a real challenge to the top two teams. The 49ers are the fashionable pick but I feel their losses in the off season have hit the team hard and I think the consistency of the Seahawks will see them win the division with the 49ers having to take the Wildcard spot behind them.
Playoff Qualifiers
- AFC – Bills, Ravens, Colts, Chiefs – Wildcards – Patriots, Titans
- NFC – Vikings, Cowboys, Saints, Seahawks – Wildcards – 49ers, Buccaneers
Superbowl Winners Tip
If the playoff predictions are correct, then my tips to reach the Superbowl from the AFC would be the Baltimore Ravens as I feel they are just slightly better all-round than the Chiefs. From the NFC I would pick the experienced New Orleans Saints to make it into the Superbowl which would be an intriguing final and one that I feel the Ravens would probably just shade. (Ravens are 6/1 to win the Superbowl).