2017 NFL AFC North Odds & Expert Picks/Predictions – Forecasting the AFC North Division

2017 NFL AFC North Odds & Expert Picks/Predictions – Forecasting the AFC North Division: The odds makers at top-rated Bovada Sportsbook have posted the preseason odds to win the 2017 AFC North Division for the 2017 NFL season and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the +102 favorites. The Steelers won the division last season going 11-5 and certainly appear to be the most talented roster on paper in the AFC North going into this season. The Steelers are followed by the Baltimore Ravens at +253 odds, Cincinnati Bengals at +293 odds and the Cleveland Browns at +3100 odds. Let’s look at who NSAwins.com’s team of expert NFL handicappers are picking to win the AFC North with their 2017 NFL expert predictions plus don’t forget to visit NSAwins.com all season for the very best 2017 NFL picks against the vegas spread each and every week.

2017 AFC North Division Predictions and Odds to Win

1. Pittsburgh Steelers(+102 odds to win AFC North at Bovada) – Head coach Mike Tomlin has done a solid job as the man in Pittsburgh over the last 10 seasons as he has compiled a 103-57 overall record to go with 1 Super Bowl Championship in two appearances. Having said that, Tomlin and the Steelers organization hasn’t had any success figuring out the New England Patriots who have owned the Steelers and blocked their path to the Super Bowl 3 times in the AFC Championship Game in the last 17 years. The Steelers went 11-5 last season but were soundly outclassed against New England twice in the regular season 27-16 in Pittsburgh and again 36-17 in the AFC Title Game in New England. The Steelers will once again have one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses with quarterback ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell leading the way. However, defense is another story and until they figure out a way to play better against Tom Brady they will have no shot at getting past New England when it counts.

2. Cincinnati Bengals(+293 odds to win AFC North at Bovada) – The Cincinnati Bengals streak of 5 straight NFL Playoffs appearances was snapped last season as they finished just 6-10. The Bengals had won 10 or more games in each season from 2012 to 2015 but were never able to carry over their regular season success into the postseason where they failed to win a game. That lack of success had to take it’s toll at some point mentally and it appears last season that was a big factor in Cincinnati’s decline. The Bengals still possess some top talent on both sides of the ball and finished a respectable 13th overall in total offense and 17th in total defense last season. The Bengals offense should be good enough to finish over .500 this season as wide receiver A.J. Green is one of the best in the league and 2nd round draft pick Joe Mixon finally gives the Bengals an explosive running back talent that could take the offense to the next level. The Bengals also used their 1st round pick in the draft on wide receiver John Ross out of Washington who gives the Bengals elite speed who could take the top off of defenses. The Bengals appear poised to get back to the NFL Playoffs this season and could even win the AFC North if the rookies don’t hit a wall and contribute at a high level all season.

3. Baltimore Ravens(+253 odds to win AFC North at Bovada) – The Baltimore Ravens improved to 8-8 last season after going just 5-11 the year prior but a terrible 1-3 finish down the stretch last season cost the Ravens the division and a playoff spot. The Ravens will have to make up for the loss of wide receiver and future hall of famer Steve Smith as he retired but made an excellent pickup in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin who was cut by Kansas City. The offense was a very mediocre 17th overall last season and 21st in scoring at 21.4 points per game so improvement is definitely a priority for head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg this summer in training camp. Defensively, the Ravens were very good last season finishing 7th overall and 9th in scoring as they gave up just 20.1 points per game. The defense should be even better this season with the addition of 4 players drafted in the first 3 rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft headlined by first round pick, cornerback Marlon Humphrey from Alabama.

4. Cleveland Browns(+3100 odds to win AFC North at Bovada) – The Cleveland Browns have been the laughing stock of the NFL or years now and were one overtime win against San Diego last season from finishing 0-16. The Browns are just 4-28 over the last two seasons and still have a ton of work to do before they start to see better days. The Browns front office has done a solid job of stockpiling draft picks and drafting quality players over the past two drafts in our opinion so that will begin to pay dividends at some point. However, the Browns still have a problem at quarterback as they head into the 2017 season with Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and 2nd round draft pick DeShone Kizer as it’s top three options. Unless Kizer surprises us and wins the job and plays at a high level, the Browns will continue to lose games this season because of inconsistent and terrible quarterback play. That’s the problem with teams who can’t seem to gain any traction in the NFL as poor quarterback play will hold any team down regardless of the overall talent. Expect another long year in Cleveland but the overall talent on the 53 man roster should be improved.

2017 AFC North Prediction: Pittsburgh to win at +102 odds.

Odds to Win the 2017 AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers +102
Baltimore Ravens +253
Cincinnati Bengals +293
Cleveland Browns +3100

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