With only four weeks remaining in the 2020 NFL regular season, five division titles are still up for grabs. This will certainly make for an exciting final month of the season as teams make a final push for the Playoffs.
With that said, the AFC West, NFC South and the NFC North are already settled even if other teams are still mathematically alive.
In the AFC West, the Chiefs have already clinched a Playoff spot and need one more win or one more Raiders loss to clinch the division. NFL betting sites aren’t even listing odds on this division.
In the NFC South, the Saints have also clinched a Playoff spot and still need to win one more game or one more Buccaneers loss to clinch the division. The Saints are a -20000 betting favorite to win the NFC South.
The Packers are up three games on the Vikings in the NFC North, but need two more wins or another win and a loss by the Vikings to wrap up the division. Like the Saints, the Packers are a -20000 favorite to win the NFC North.
With that out of the way, let’s turn our attention to the rest of the league where the divisional races could come down to the final game of the season.
NFL betting sites have released odds on each of these divisions that are up for grabs. Let’s huddle up, examine these odds, and pick the divisional winners.
AFC East Winner
- Buffalo Bills (-800)
- Miami Dolphins (+500)
- New England Patriots (+2000)
Buffalo Bills (-800)
At 9-3, the Buffalo Bills sit on top of the AFC East with a one game advantage over the second place Miami Dolphins. Currently, Buffalo is 4-0 in the division but they do have two games left against the Patriots and the Dolphins.
Opinion: Josh Allen’s strong arm powering Buffalo Bills toward first AFC East title in 25 years https://t.co/OfmSN1NPEK
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) December 9, 2020
In addition to those two divisional matchups, the Bills also play against the Steelers and the Broncos. Pittsburgh is 11-1 and this Week 14 matchup will have ramifications throughout the entire conference.
I expect the Bills to go at least 2-2 throughout the final month and should finish with at least an 11-5 record. Buffalo has one of the best offenses in the conference and have both the Steelers and Dolphins at home.
Miami Dolphins (+500)
As mentioned, the 8-4 Dolphins sit one game back of the Bills with a Week 17 matchup against Buffalo looming large. Unfortunately for Miami, they have a lot in the way between now and then.
In Week 14, the Dolphins host the Chiefs and then the Patriots the following week. They close out their season with two road games: at Las Vegas and at Buffalo.
The game versus the Raiders could decide the final Wild Card spot as the Dolphins are in 6th place and the Raiders are in 8th place.
I see Miami going 1-2 before meeting the Bills in the final week, which means that they will most likely be out of contention for the division.
New England Patriots (+2000)
At 6-6, the Patriots are still alive in the AFC East race and one of the three Wild Card spots. It’s a surprising turnaround considering the Patriots were 2-5 after losing four straight games. Since then, they’ve gone 4-1 with wins over the Ravens and Cardinals.
The Patriots have no room for error or losing. They need to win the rest of their games in order to have any shot at the division and the Wild Card.
For New England, they have the Rams, Dolphins, Bills and Jets. That’s a winnable stretch if they can play their best football.
Who Wins the AFC East?
The Buffalo Bills have looked like the best team all season long. There’s no reason to think they can’t finish off strong and win the division for the first time in over two decades.
For the Patriots to win, they need the Bills to lose at least three of their last four games. They would also need that from the Dolphins also. In reality, the Patriots have dug too deep of a hole to climb out of.
The Dolphins have too tough of a schedule to win out and capture the division. They will most likely be two games back of the Bills come Week 17 which means that Buffalo can rest their starters for the Playoffs.
AFC East Winner –Buffalo Bills (800)
AFC North Winner
- Pittsburgh Steelers (-4000)
- Cleveland Browns (+1200)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-4000)
The biggest surprise of Week 13 was the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1) losing at home to Washington. That was the first loss of the season for the Steelers and it definitely is a cause for concern since Pittsburgh was fighting for the top seed in the AFC.
Smile if you haven’t lost to an AFC North team this year. pic.twitter.com/HvZkdr7aaW
— brandon🃏 (11–1) (@TomlinWRLD) December 8, 2020
The Steelers face the Bills, Bengals, Colts and Browns to close out the season. That’s at least 2-2 down the final stretch, which would put them in the driver’s seat for the division. That’s also why oddsmakers have the Steelers at such a large betting favorite.
I see the Steelers more than likely going 3-1 down the stretch and securing the 2nd seed overall.
Cleveland Browns (+1200)
The 9-3 Browns have really turned things around in 2020. Injuries threatened to derail their season after losing OBJ for the year and Nick Chubb for a handful of games. Yet, Cleveland persevered and have won four straight games.
They currently sit 5th in the AFC and are just two games back of the Steelers in the AFC North division. However, they’re going to need a lot of help down the stretch to win this division.
The Browns play the Ravens, Giants, Jets and Steelers to close out the regular season. Yet, they will need Pittsburgh to lose at least two of the three next games including to Cincy in order to have a chance to take the division with a win in Week 17.
Who Wins the AFC North?
I give the Browns plenty of credit for turning things around and becoming a Playoff caliber team. With a few more wins, they can secure a spot in the postseason.
Unfortunately, they won’t be able to capture the AFC North. Pittsburgh would need to lose to the Bengals and Bills or Colts, then drop the Week 17 matchup to Cleveland. Or, the Steelers would need to lose all four games if Cleveland slips up once down the stretch.
The Browns need to win all four games to really be in any position of stealing the division and that’s just not going to happen. A loss against the Ravens in Week 14 will squash all divisional hope.
AFC North Winner –Pittsburgh Steelers (-4000)
AFC South Winner
- Tennessee Titans (-180)
- Indianapolis Colts (+120)
- Houston Texans (+30000)
Tennessee Titans (-180)
The Tennessee Titans currently sit on top of the AFC South division despite having the same 8-4 record as the Colts. However, Tennessee has a better divisional record than Indy does at this point and that gives them the edge.
With just four weeks left, the #AFCSouth is still wide open for the @Colts & @Titans to take the division. Who has the easiest route to winning the division?#ForTheShoe #Titans pic.twitter.com/kik18rFjQS
— The Naptown Beat (@naptownbeat) December 9, 2020
The Titans have a friendly remaining schedule with games against the Jaguars, Lions, Packers and Texans. Other than Green Bay, the other three teams are pretty much eliminated from postseason contention.
This could be the time of the year where the Titans knock off four wins in a row an enter the Playoffs on a role like they did last season when they made it all the way to the AFC Championship game.
Indianapolis Colts (+120)
The Colts play the Raiders, Texans, Steelers and Jaguars to finish the season. It’s a slightly tougher schedule than the Titans, but they could end up going 3-1 and put pressure on Tennessee for the divisional crown.
The Colts have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and looked like one of the AFC’s best teams for the first half of the season. But, some disappointing losses in the second half of the season has the Colts hanging on to the 7th Wild Card spot by a thread.
Houston Texans (+30000)
Here’s an example where a team is still mathematically alive, but doesn’t have any realistic chance at winning their division. They would need both the Colts and the Titans to lose the rest of their games in order to win the division. That’s not going to happen.
Houston was doomed this year due to poor coaching and poor decision making for player personnel. They haven’t been able to overcome their terrible start to the season that cost head coach Bill O’Brien his job. The Texans have a lot of questions to answer this offseason.
Who Wins the AFC South?
I like the Titans to edge out the Colts for the division title. If they both finish 3-1 down the stretch, the Titans would end up winning the division if that lone loss wasn’t within the AFC South and the Colts won their remaining divisional games.
Basically, the Titans can afford to lose to the Packers and still win the division if they win the rest of the games since they will have a better divisional and conference record than the Colts.
With that said, I expect both teams to make the Playoffs this year.
AFC South Winner –Tennessee Titans (-180)
NFC East Winner
- New York Giants (+140)
- Washington Football Team (+140)
- Philadelphia Eagles (+1400)
- Dallas Cowboys (+2500)
New York Giants (+140)
A few weeks ago, the NFC East was the laughing stock of the NFL. However, after Week 13, nobody is laughing at this division any longer. Well, nobody is laughing at the two top teams, but there’s still plenty of comic relief with the Eagles and Cowboys.
Heading into Week 14, the New York Giants sit on top of the NFC East despite having the same 5-7 record as Washington. However, they have the better conference record by one win and that’s the tie breaker as of now.
🔘 The Giants beat the Seahawks
🔘 Washington beat the undefeated Steelers
The NFC East this week: pic.twitter.com/TPJZWj4BVe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2020
The Giants are coming off a big Week 13 win over the Seahawks as they showcased their Top 10 defense that’s vastly underrated.
They’re going to need that defense to step up in this final month of the season because they play against three Playoff caliber teams in the Cardinals, Browns and Ravens before closing out against the Cowboys.
I see this team going at least 2-2 down the stretch.
Washington Football Team (+140)
Only Washington’s upset win over the Steelers was more surprising than the Giants beating the Seahawks in Week 13. Yet, it’s their third straight victory and the team looks renewed with Alex Smith at QB.
Washington has a tougher remaining schedule than the Giants do as they face the 49ers, Seahawks, Panthers and Eagles. I see this team also going 2-2, but they could end up taking the division if they can beat out the Giants with a better divisional record.
Philadelphia Eagles (+1400)
The Eagles announced this week that they were going with Jalen Hurts as the starting QB over Carson Wentz. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late. At 3-8-1, the Eagles would need to win out and hope that the Giants and Washington don’t win more than one game.
Philly plays the Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys and Washington to close out the season. That’s a 1-3 record even with the dynamic Jalen Hurts at QB.
The Eagles will have a lot of questions to answer in the offseason including who the franchise QB will be moving forward. They will also need to decide if Doug Pederson is the man for the job and consider any other front office changes.
Dallas Cowboys (+2500)
Although they’re still mathematically alive, the Cowboys have no chance at winning the division. They would need to win out and have both Washington and the Giants lose at least three games.
Dallas finishes the season with games against the Bengals, 49ers, Eagles and Giants. That’s not an extremely difficult stretch, but I just don’t see them beating the 49ers and New York.
The Dallas Cowboys are a disaster and they will need to take a serious look at the entire organization this offseason.
Who Wins the NFC East?
The division will come down to New York versus Washington. As of now, I have to give the edge to the Giants. They have a slightly easier schedule than Washington does.
Both teams have strong defenses, but the Giants appear to have the slight advantage down the stretch in terms of the opposing offenses. In reality, this division will probably come down to the final week.
I would recommend waiting two more weeks before wagering on the NFC East winner. Things could change after the next two games for each team.
NFC East Winner –New York Giants (+140)
NFC West Winner
- Los Angeles Rams (+135)
- Seattle Seahawks (+110)
- Arizona Cardinals (+2800)
- San Francisco 49ers (+6600)
Los Angeles Rams (+135)
With their win over Arizona in Week 13, the Los Angeles Rams are back on top of the NFC West. However, this division is still wide open for the taking. Surprisingly, all four teams have the same 2-2 divisional record and they all still play against each other in the final month of the season.
The Rams do have the better conference record out of the four NFC West teams, which will be a crucial tie breaker at the end of the season if necessary.
Back on top of the NFC West! 👏 #VictoryMonday pic.twitter.com/ZaChiYeRJR
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 7, 2020
Los Angeles wraps up the regular season with games against the Patriots, Jets, Seahawks and Cardinals. That’s not an easy slate as they could end up 2-2. Depending on which games they lose, the Rams could fall from 1st to 3rd in the division.
It goes without saying, if the Rams win out then they take the NFC West and probably the 3rd seed in the NFC conference.
Seattle Seahawks (+110)
The Seattle Seahawks (8-4) laid an egg in Week 13 as their high powered offense was smothered by the Giants defense. The loss snapped a two game win streak and now the Seahawks are left scratching their heads as to what went wrong. Was it a bad week or a bad sign of things to come?
Seattle has games against the Jets, Washington, the Rams and the 49ers. Like the Rams, it really depends on which games they lose. The Week 16 matchup between LA and Seattle could decide who wins the division.
Arizona Cardinals (+2800)
At 6-6, the Cardinals are two games back of the Rams and Seahawks in the division with four games remaining. Arizona is currently the 8th seed in the NFC as they are tied with Minnesota, but the Vikings have the tie breaker.
Arizona plays the Giants, Eagles, 49ers and Rams to close out the season. They will need to go at least 3-1 down the stretch to have any shot at the divisional crown. More than likely, they will be playing for the 7th seed.
San Francisco 49ers (+6600)
With their blowout loss to the Bills in Week 13 on Monday Night Football, the 49ers fell to 5-7 on the season and in the bottom of the division. They’re also the 11th seed in the NFC.
San Francisco made a nice run in the middle of the season to claw their way back into Playoff contention, but the loss to Buffalo was a backbreaker.
The 49ers will need to win out and hope that Seattle and the Rams don’t win more than one game. That’s an unrealistic expectation.
Although they play Washington, Dallas, Arizona and Seattle, it’s highly unlikely that the 49ers finish better than 2-2 down the stretch and 7-9 on the season.
Injuries have derailed this team and they will have to decide if they have a franchise QB in the offseason or not.
Who Wins the NFC West?
Although Arizona still has games against the 49ers and the Rams, which would help their divisional aspirations, they would need to go at least 3-1 while the Seahawks and Rams go 1-3 down the stretch to have any hopes of winning the NFC West.
That’s just not going to happen. In all likelihood, the Cardinals are playing for the final Wild Card spot while the Rams and Seahawks will battle for the divisional crown.
The Seahawks have been battling through injuries this season, but should have their impact players back for the final stretch. I expect Seattle to make that push for the NFC West crown and win the division once again.
Right now, they offer great value at +110 odds. Plus, I really like Russell Wilson over Jared Goff down the stretch.
NFC West Winner –Seattle Seahawks (+110)
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
