NFL betting, odds: Bettors' favorite 2023 division winner may surprise you
The Saints are getting a bigger percentage of money to win the NFC South than the Chiefs are to win the AFC West
Bettors are very confident in the New Orleans Saints’ chances of making the playoffs ahead of the 2023 season.
The Saints are getting the biggest share of money bet on 2023 division winners at BetMGM ahead of Week 1. New Orleans is a +115 favorite to win what could be one of the weakest divisions in the NFL and is getting nearly 63% of the money bet on the NFC South winner.
The only other team getting more than 60% of the money on division bets is the Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champions are the biggest division favorites in the NFL at -200 and are getting 61% of the money to win the AFC West.
It makes sense why bettors are attracted to the Saints in the NFC South. In addition to a veteran defense featuring DE Cam Jordan, CB Marshon Lattimore and S Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans looks to have the best quarterback situation heading into the 2023 season after signing Derek Carr. The Carolina Panthers are starting the season with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, the Atlanta Falcons are opening the season with 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder and Baker Mayfield is starting at QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And remember, the Bucs won the division in 2022 with a losing record. Tampa Bay went 8-9 in Tom Brady's final season as the rest of the division went 7-10.
The money the Saints are receiving comes on roughly half of all NFC South winner bets. The Falcons (+200) are getting 30% of bets while the Panthers (+450) are getting 14% of bets and the Bucs (+750) are getting just 8%.
Bettors are split on the AFC East and AFC North
There are no clear favorites among the public in both the AFC East and the AFC North.
The Buffalo Bills are the favorites to win the East at +120 but slightly more bettors like the New York Jets at +250 to win the division. Both teams are getting roughly 29% of tickets while 24% of bettors are taking a flier on the New England Patriots at +800. The Miami Dolphins are getting the least amount of bets (19%) and money (14%) at +300.
In the North, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting a plurality of bets despite being the underdog in the division. The Steelers are +450 to win the division and are getting 35% of bets. The Cincinnati Bengals are the favorites at +155 and are getting 25% of bets. All four teams in the division are getting at least 20% of the money.
