The days of the AFC North being loaded with savage hits over the middle may be long gone, but it’s still one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.
Toughness and stability are typically what shine in the North and no team in the division epitomizes those more than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They finished 9-8 in 2022 and haven’t had with a losing record in the standings since 2003.
That pedigree alone is why bettors should be sprinting to bet Pittsburgh to win the AFC North again.
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The Steelers have the longest odds in the division to win at +550 (15 percent implied probability) at Bet365.
The favored team to take the division crown is the Cincinnati Bengals (+125), followed by the Baltimore Ravens (+250) and the Cleveland Browns (+360).
Each team, like the Steelers, has obvious strengths and evident weaknesses, which is why this NFL futures market should be much closer than the odds indicate.
Let’s start with the history: The Steelers nearly lap the field when it comes to the most division titles.
Pittsburgh has 24 (including the division’s days as the AFC Central, which did not include the Ravens), with the most recent one in 2020.
The Bengals are next with 11.
The one noticeable thing in recent AFC North history is stability doesn’t last.
No team has won the division for at least three straight seasons in nearly 30 years, when it was the AFC Central.
The last team to do it was, in fact, the Steelers from 1994-97. The Bengals, who have won the division the last two seasons, will be tasked with going against history.
Two men on the Steelers are the catalysts for why bettors need to take a hard look at a Steel Curtain revival: T.J. Watt and Mike Tomlin.
Watt has been a top-three finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in four of the last five seasons, but fell short in 2022 after he missed seven games with a torn pectoral.
His loss was felt immediately as Pittsburgh lost six of those contests while allowing more than 24 points per game.
Once Watt came back to the lineup, the Steelers went 8-1 over the final nine games while only allowing 14.3 points per game.
Watt is the heartbeat of the defense with his edge-rushing, which makes the Steelers dangerous in any matchup.
Finally, how can you bet against Tomlin?
He has yet to have a losing season in his coaching career and last season he led a team that was last in total passing touchdowns to nine wins.
Now, Tomlin is getting another offseason to coach up starting quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Pittsburgh’s offense might actually be able to contribute, which will give its defense a huge edge in late portions of games when everyone’s legs are tired.
With season-long bets like this, you want to have your NFL Futures money invested in teams that give a damn and will fight to the end.
Nothing epitomizes that more than a Tomlin-coached team, which will actually work for your money.
At the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for.