AFC win totals at first glance

By: Josh Frey-Sam

I’m not placing any bets yet, but it’s never too early to take a look.

The futures bet market has slowly been unveiled for next season. Among the opening lines are the win totals for each team, which always present some intrigue.

There are a few that catch my eye, and others that I have some thoughts on.

Let’s run through em’:

Buffalo Bills over 11.5

The Bills are my early pick to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC next season. Though their schedule has yet to be released, there’s a lot to love about their opponents.

Buffalo has some difficult matchups on tap, but the toughest of the bunch are all at home, where they have dominated in recent years.

The Ravens, Bengals, Bucs, Chiefs and Eagles will all pay a visit to Highmark Stadium (along with their divisional opponents). The Bills will be licking their chops on the road, though. They have the Steelers, Falcons, Panthers, Browns and Texans on deck.

Over 11.5 is very appealing.

Baltimore Ravens under 11.5

This is one I don’t think I’ll be touching at this number, but it caught my eye, nonetheless.

The Ravens will still be a good team this season, there’s no doubt in my mind. But it’s tough to ignore the opponents that await. Baltimore welcomes the Bears, Lions, Texans (?) and Rams to the Bank— not bad.

However, it’ll be tough sledding on the road. Games in Buffalo, Green Bay, Miami, Kansas City and Minnesota (along with the always-difficult AFC North matchups) await.

I’m not rushing to bet the under, but the over is out of the question for these Super Bowl hopefuls.

Cleveland Browns over/under 5.5

An intriguing line for the Browns, who have a roster, outside of the quarterback position, that is ready to push for a playoff spot.

We must ask ourselves if the Browns’ defence, and average quarterback at best, can will this team to six wins.

If it’s Kenny Pickett starting, then I’m just staying away from this line. If it’s a rookie, the under becomes worth looking at.

The Browns welcome the Bills, Dolphins, Packers, Vikings and 49ers to Huntington Bank Field next season — not easy. They will travel to Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas (?) and New England (?).

New England Patriots over 7.5

This line is already juiced up, but I still don’t mind it.

If this team can protect Drake Maye, the offence will take a step. Meanwhile, this defence under Mike Vrabel WILL be better and could even shock some people with just how good they are.

The Pats host Cleveland, Atlanta (?), the Giants and Jets, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas. Their most daunting road matchups outside of Buffalo come in Cincinnati and Baltimore. It could be a relatively friendly schedule that bodes well for a team that added a lot of talent this offseason.

We’ll do the NFC on Monday.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh