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As the 2024 NFL season quickly approaches, Betting News is previewing each of the league’s eight divisions. After looking at the NFC East and AFC West on Tuesday, it’s time to turn our attention to the always-competitive AFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers form the AFC North, which was one of the tightest divisions during the 2023 NFL season. Three of those teams — the Ravens, Browns, and Steelers — qualified for the postseason, which was the most of any division. And even though the Bengals were left on the outside looking in, they only missed the playoffs by a single win.
With another intense battle for division supremacy on the horizon, now is the perfect time for this 2024 AFC North preview. Let’s take a look at the latest divisional odds, as well as which team is most likely to emerge on top.
AFC North 2024 odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of 12:17 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 17.
The Ravens are the AFC North favorites (+140) after winning the division with a 13-4 record last season. Baltimore was one of the NFL’s best teams on both sides of the battle as QB Lamar Jackson led the charge with an MVP season, racking up nearly 3,700 yards with 24 touchdowns threw the air while adding another 821 yards and five TDs on 148 carries.
The Ravens’ offense was already dangerous, but that’s even more the case with Derrick Henry joining the backfield. The superstar running back has been the league’s top rusher in recent years, pacing his contemporaries in carries (1,529), rushing yards (7,209), and TDs on the ground (68) since 2019. That’s without mentioning how Baltimore added plenty of depth through the draft and free agency to further flesh out the roster.
If Jackson keeps up his MVP performances and Henry arrives as advertised, the Ravens are going to be one of the scariest teams to face. They know how to beat the opposition in a multitude of ways, leaving time to tell if their rivals have what it takes to stop the reigning AFC North winners.
Even though they were the only AFC North team to miss the playoffs, the Bengals are the biggest divisional threat outside of the Ravens. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, considering how Cincinnati won back-to-back titles before Baltimore won it all last season.
Nevertheless, one of the main reasons why the Bengals missed the latest postseason was their injury situation. Starting QB Joe Burrow and No. 2 WR Tee Higgins missed a combined 12 games last season. Even though the team played well in their absence, Cincinnati could’ve easily added two or three more wins had the pair remained healthy.
How will a healthy Joe Burrow impact the Bengals in 2024?
Even if the Bengals aren’t the best team (on paper) in the division, their outlook might be the most promising. Due to their finishing fourth in the AFC North last season, Zac Taylor’s squad has the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL based on projected 2024 win totals.
For comparison, the Ravens (29th), Browns (30th), and Steelers (32nd) each face much tougher slates.
If the Bengals stay healthy and take advantage of their juicy schedule, the AFC North could end up being theirs to lose.
The Browns are one of the tougher teams to assess ahead of the 2024 NFL season. On one hand, there’s no denying that they boast one of the most talented defensive groups in the league — especially on the frontline. Names like Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, and Dalvin Tomlinson know how to make their opponents’ lives a living hell.
On the other hand, the offense has a ton of questions left unanswered. For starters, nobody knows what version of Nick Chubb will show up this fall after his gruesome season-ending knee injury. Although he was one of the best rushers when healthy, he’s turning 29 in December and might not be able to reach those heights again.
Secondly, it isn’t a secret that Deshaun Watson hasn’t lived up to his mega contract. The veteran quarterback has barely played any games since joining the Browns in 2022, completing just 59.8% of passes for 2,217 yards, 14 TDs, and nine INTs in 12 starts. He just hasn’t looked like the same player who paced the league in passing yards four years ago.
The Browns won’t find success until QB Deshaun Watson lives up to his contract value.
Additionally, it remains to be seen if wideouts Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy can be productive enough to take some pressure off Amari Cooper.
Until their offense begins to gel, it’s best to fade the Browns in the NFC North race. The fact that they have the third-hardest schedule across the NFL only further solidifies that fact.
Nobody has experienced more AFC North success than the Steelers throughout the last quarter century. Since the 2002 NFL season, Pittsburgh has walked away with nine of a possible 22 division titles. For comparison, the Ravens rank second with seven while the Bengals won the other six.
Nevertheless, time will tell if the Black and Yellow can win their first crown since 2020. Even though the Steelers made the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons, a 31-17 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills didn’t exactly inspire confidence regarding the franchise’s future.
You could argue that Pittsburgh benefited from favorable matchups last season, proven by an unimpressive minus -1.2 average scoring margin (21st). The Steelers won’t have that benefit this fall as their upcoming schedule is the toughest in the NFL.
Will a tough 2024 schedule be too much for the Steelers to handle?
Uncertainty under center could also limit the Steelers’ ceiling next season now that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are competing for the QB1 job. While Wilson owns a Super Bowl ring, his best days are firmly behind him while Fields hasn’t lived up to the hype since being drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021.
If Wilson or Fields steps up, I could see the Steelers challenging for a wild card spot. However, if the duo crumbles under the pressure, Pittsburgh is likely looking at a top-10 selection next April.
Betting on the Steelers after they made the playoffs might be tempting, however, it’s best to temper expectations for now.
After an injury-plagued 2023 campaign, the Bengals are ready to compete for another AFC North title. They’re more than talented enough to take advantage of a juicy schedule en route to another double-digit win total. As long as the key players stay healthy, Cincinnati is going to put a lot of teams on notice in 2024.
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