Heading into last season, no one would have guessed that the Houston Texans would capture the AFC South title with a rookie QB. The crazy thing is that this year's Houston squad should be even better than the 2023 version. Will the Texans once again take home the division crown?
Will Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars finally start playing up to their potential? Can Anthony Richardson stay healthy for an entire season in Indy? We'll get to these questions and more in our 2024 AFC South betting preview. Enjoy!
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY), (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). Must be 21+ (18+ KY/WY).
Division Odds: +105 / Season Wins: 9.5
DeMeco Ryans took the Texans to new heights during his first season as head coach in 2023, mainly thanks to the outstanding play of CJ Stroud. The former Ohio State star amassed over 4,000 passing yards and threw for 23 touchdowns during his rookie campaign.
Stroud has two new toys to play with on offense this season, as the team brought in two more dynamic playmakers in Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs. Though many worry about Diggs's attitude, I highly doubt that Ryans will put up with any nonsense from him. The WR combo of Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins should strike terror into opposing secondaries.
Houston's defense did a fantastic job against the run last season, as they ranked 2nd in yards per rush allowed. That should once again be a strength, especially since they brought in Denico Autry. The secondary play has been disappointing, but help is on the way in the form of 2nd round draft pick Kamari Lassiter.
For our best bet in the AFC South, let's ride with the Texans to go Over 9.5 wins. While I'm not crazy about the -140 juice, this squad should rack up 10 wins with relative ease.
Division Odds: +310 / Season Wins: 8.5
It was pretty impressive watching Shane Steichen lead this team to a winning record last season, despite losing Anthony Richardson after just 4 games. According to multiple reports, Richardson's shoulder has healed and he should be ready to roll in Week 1. This kid has all the tools to be a legitimate superstar.
I was a little disappointed that Indy didn't sign a big name free agent in the offseason. The offense should be fine as long as Richardson and Jonathan Taylor can stay healthy. Rookie Adonai Mitchell should keep defenses from double teaming Michael Pittman in the passing game.
My issue with this Colts team is their secondary, as they ranked just 22nd in yards per pass allowed in 2023. I was hoping they would draft a corner in the 1st round to help out the troops, but they opted instead for DE Laiatu Latu. That'll help the pass rush, but Houston and Jacksonville should still be able to beat this team over the top.
Division Odds: +275 / Season Wins: 8.5
Here's a team that I just can't figure out. The Jags have a boatload of talent on both sides of the ball but they just can't seem to take that next big step. I think Doug Pederson is a good coach, but I'm not all the way sold on Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence has a big arm, but his 14 interceptions a year ago prove that he's still got too much of a gunslinger mentality. I like TE Evan Engram but I'm not too fond of this receiving corps in J-Town. Christian Kirk is decent, but are Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas going to be able to stretch opposing defenses?
Jacksonville's defense is kind of middle of the road, by my numbers. They have two solid pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen but nobody else really jumps off the page at me. I'll predict another 9-8 season for the Jags.
Division Odds: +1000 / Season Wins: 6.5
The Titans are officially in rebuilding mode after letting Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry walk during the offseason. They also fired head coach Mike Vrabel, which was kind of a head-scratching move by the front office. Brian Callahan is the new sheriff in Nashville after a nice tenure with the Bengals.
How will this new-look Tennessee offense perform? Not well if they don't do a better job of protecting the QB. Will Levis showed flashes of brilliance last year, but the poor guy was running for his life half of the time. Drafting former Alabama standout JC Latham was a good first step in protecting Levis.
The Titans defense will be filled with question marks heading into this season. The addition of L'Jarius Snead from the Chiefs definitely gives some much needed help to the secondary. All in all though, Tennessee is probably a year or two away from being a contender in this division.