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NFL Futures: 2022 AFC North Betting Preview, Picks and Analysis

NFL Futures: 2022 AFC North Betting Preview, Picks and Analysis

Last season, Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to the top of the AFC North, and he ultimately brought his team to the Super Bowl, shocking NFL fans and bettors around the world. The Bengals ended up losing that game to the Los Angeles Rams, but the fact they got there so early in the process of revamping their roster was quite the surprise.

Cincinnati will now be looking to fight off the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, who all will feel like they have a chance of claiming this division. 

Is the AFC North still the Bengals' to lose? Not in the minds of the oddsmakers, as the Ravens are actually the favorites to win the division. With that said, you'll want to continue reading to find out who we're backing, as we're diving deep on all four teams in our AFC North betting preview, picks and analysis

For insights on every NFL game, check out our NFL Bet Hub! 

AFC North Betting Preview, Picks and Analysis

Baltimore Ravens

 

There wasn’t a team in the league that had worse injury luck than the Ravens last year, but John Harbaugh’s team is set to get the troops back this season. The running back position is the lone group in which question marks linger, as both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will open the year on the PUP list. However, Baltimore should be able to weather that storm, as the additions of Tyler Linderbaum and Morgan Moses should dramatically improve the team’s offensive line. That’ll mean that whoever has this job early in the year should find some holes to run through, especially with opposing defenses needing to keep a close eye on Lamar Jackson as a runner.

As far as the passing game goes, the Ravens will once again have Jackson looking in tight end Mark Andrews’ direction rather often. Baltimore traded Hollywood Brown to the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason, which gives Jackson fewer options to work with. But Andrews has proven that he can be the alpha in this offense, and the Ravens are expecting big things from second-year wideout Rashod Bateman. Also, the reports out of training camp regarding Jackson have been positive, with offensive coordinator Greg Roman having noted that he might need to open up the playbook with how well Jackson is spinning it.

Defensively, Baltimore should be in great shape once Marcus Peters returns to the field. The Ravens did well to add a pair of fantastic safeties in the offseason, as they broke the bank for former New Orleans Saints star Marcus Williams and then used a first-round pick on Kyle Hamilton, who many felt was the best defensive player in the draft. Safeties just aren’t valued the way they used to be, especially ones like Hamilton that thrive in the box. That's why he fell to the Ravens. Regardless, Baltimore has playmakers all over the field and this should be a scary unit this year.

Verdict: This is going to be one of the more competitive divisions in football this year, so we wouldn’t advise betting on the favorite in this one. Of course, the Ravens can easily end up having the best record of this bunch, but the value just isn’t there. It should, however, be noted that this is the team the DimersBOT likes to win the AFC North. 

Cincinnati Bengals

 

Fresh off a run to the Super Bowl, a pretty strong argument can be made that the Bengals improved this offseason. Cincinnati, which had a rather weak offensive line last year, added La’el Collins and Alex Cappa in the offseason. Cappa graded out as the 19th-best guard out of 82 players on Pro Football Focus last year, while Collins was 15th out of 83 at tackle. With those two in the mix, the Bengals should have an even better running game, which will open up the passing game a lot more.

Head coach Zac Taylor has always wanted to use an outside-zone rushing attack, much like the one the San Francisco 49ers deploy, but he never had the personnel to do it. Now, the Bengals should be able to see out his vision, which will make for even more catch-and-run opportunities for guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, as opposing defenses will have to really respect the Cincinnati ground game. If all of that ends up coming to fruition, Burrow will be able to pick apart opposing secondaries, as he’s a smart quarterback and will be able to use pre-snap reads to identify mismatches.

On defense, the Bengals are hoping that rookies Cam Taylor-Britt and Daxton Hill can add some nice depth to a defensive unit that was solid in 2021. Cincinnati was in the middle of the pack in both points per game and yards per game allowed. With an elite offense like the one the Bengals have, a decent defense will do just fine. But the Bengals are definitely hoping to see the group take a small step forward, as that could be the difference in them being contenders again.

Verdict: It’d be somewhat surprising to see the Bengals in the league’s top tier again, as last year’s run never quite felt real. Cincinnati is probably a few defensive playmakers away from being a Super Bowl team again. There’s a reason the DimersBOT only gives the Bengals a 3.7% chance of winning it all.  

Cleveland Browns

UPDATE (Thursday, Aug. 18 at 12:00PM ET):

Deshaun Watson will be suspended for 11 games this season. 

 

On paper, there isn’t a team in the AFC North that is as talented as Cleveland. The Browns also face the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Steelers and Atlanta Falcons in the first four weeks of the year, and those games will all be winnable for head coach Kevin Stefanski’s team, even with Jacoby Brissett under center. That gives Cleveland a chance to stay afloat while Watson is out. If the Browns can be 6-5 or 5-6 when Watson comes back, you'll be happy you're holding a ticket on them winning the AFC North.

The Browns offense, which already boasts one of the league’s most potent rushing attacks, could be rather explosive with newly acquired Amari Cooper set to be catching passes from Watson. Cleveland also clearly has big plans for tight end David Njoku, who was signed to a four-year, $56.75 million extension this summer. Given the talent on this unit, it wouldn’t be surprising if this is one of the league’s most dangerous offenses at some point. Stefanski is an absolute mastermind when it comes to coaching up an offense.

The Browns also happen to have one of the league’s best defenses, as they gave up just 311.5 yards per game last year. That mark was good for fifth in the league in 2021, and the team also gave up only 21.8 points per game, which was the 13th-best mark in football.

Verdict: This is one of the two bets in the AFC North that really stands out. Is it as safe as taking the Ravens or Bengals? Of course not. But the Browns have the most upside of any team in this division and Brissett is better than he is given credit for. He can effectively manage games until Watson is back with Cleveland.

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

It’s a little surprising to see that the Steelers are sitting there as such a heavy underdog in this division. Pittsburgh has won the AFC North in four of the last eight years, which is more than any other team in the division. And head coach Mike Tomlin has led the Steelers to 12 winning seasons in his 15 years with the team — and the other three years were seasons in which they finished 8-8.

Pittsburgh no longer has legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under center, but Big Ben had really lost it late in his career. Whether it’s Mitchell Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett that ends up starting in Week 1, it’s just hard to see this Steelers passing game suffering all that much — especially considering they added talent to their wide receiver room in the draft. Pittsburgh is going to be a run-heavy offense anyway, as the team has Najee Harris shouldering the load in the backfield. Harris is one of the most talented backs in the NFL, and he could be in for a big second-year leap in 2022.

As for Pittsburgh’s defense, the unit can be counted on to perform at a high level this year. The Steelers gave up just 215.1 yards per game last season, and they also added a legitimate playmaker in inside linebacker Myles Jack. Jack’s tough style of play should make him a perfect fit for this team, which will look to improve upon last year’s 23.4 points per game allowed.

Verdict: Outside of the Browns, this is probably the best bet in the division and it’s definitely the best value in the group. Pittsburgh just needs decent play at the quarterback position in order to be as good as it was last year, and that really isn’t that much to ask for. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada might feel better about calling plays now that he doesn’t have to account for a quarterback that lacks mobility.

 

NFL Futures: 2022 AFC South Betting Preview

NFL Futures: 2022 AFC East Betting Preview

Zachary Cohen has been writing about betting and fantasy sports since his days at the University of Wisconsin. His work has since been featured for prominent players like Covers, Sports Illustrated, Forbes Sports, Tennis Channel and FOX Bet. Zach is extremely passionate about all things sports, but he's especially into the NBA and college athletics. Zach is also a sucker for bad comedies and reality TV. 

Twitter: @_ZCO

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