The Buffalo Bills will be looking to finish atop the AFC East in consecutive seasons for the first time in 30 years as they get set to open the upcoming NFL campaign as strong -150 betting favourites on the AFC East division odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Buffalo enjoyed a huge breakthrough last season, matching a franchise record with 13 regular-season wins on its way to its first divisional crown in 25 years. The Bills now return to action among the favourites on the Super Bowl odds as a +1100 wager, and trail only the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with +750 odds of compiling the NFL’s best regular-season record.
The Bills’ prospects hinge largely on quarterback Josh Allen. The 25-year-old established himself as an elite passer last season while throwing for 16 touchdowns over the team’s schedule-ending six-game win streak. Allen now opens the new campaign amid high expectations, trailing only Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers at +1000 on the NFL MVP odds at sports betting sites.
Further down the AFC East betting futures, the Miami Dolphins trail Buffalo as a +315 bet, just ahead of the New England Patriots at +340, while the New York Jets lag as distant +2500 longshots on those NFL odds.
The Dolphins emerged as one of the surprises of last season, ending a stretch of three straight losing campaigns by racking up a 10-6 record. But in addition to falling just short of a playoff spot, Miami ended last season still facing concerns over whether Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take over the team’s offence.
With veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick leaving town for Washington, the pressure will be on Tagovailoa to meet high expectations. And the team has taken steps to provide him with quality targets, with the addition of veteran receiver Will Fuller and rookie Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins also benefit from a favourable schedule, but remain at just +110 odds to make the playoffs.
Fresh off their first losing season in two decades, the Patriots also face questions under center. Cam Newton returns following a disappointing debut in New England last season, and is expected to face challenges for the starting job from youngsters Mac Jones and Jason Stidham. The Patriots maintain solid -135 odds of winning OVER 9.5 games, but are also listed at +140 odds to finish third in the AFC East standings.
And it is back to square one for the New York Jets, who have parted ways with oft-injured quarterback Sam Darnold. Winners of an NFL-worst two games last season, the Jets return to action as a -130 wager to win UNDER 6.0 games, and as heavy -475 chalk to finish at the bottom of the AFC East standings.
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