2024 AFC NORTH PREVIEW

2024 AFC North Preview

The season win totals and odds to make the playoffs are from the opening lines at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas

BALTIMORE RAVENS – TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW 

In a massive offseason overhaul, the Ravens parted ways with several starters from their 14-5 team, including guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, right tackle Morgan Moses, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, cornerback Ronald Darby, and linebacker Patrick Queen. However, a stellar draft should help fill the void, along with the advantage of having John Harbaugh on the sidelines. The Ravens have been blessed by the schedule maker holding the No. 1 net rest advantage (16 days) of all teams this season. Since 1990, head coach John Harbaugh is 17-4 outright, including 4-0 SUATS as an underdog, in games when his team is playing with rest – a huge edge. Word from training camp reveals that QB Lamar Jackson has shed 10 pounds from his playing weight of 215 last season and 20 pounds from his weight in 2022. And don’t forget this: It’s been nearly a dozen years since Ravens’ HC John Harbaugh edged his hyper-competitive brother Jim in Super Bowl 47 – aka the “HarBowl.” They will meet in Los Angeles on November 25. It’s a game guaranteed to get more hype than Taylor Swift performing a halftime act at a Chiefs game.

Season Win Total: 11  

Odds To Make Playoffs YES -310 / NO +260

Stat You Will Like: Lamar Jackson is 13-5 SU and 15-2-1 ATS as either a dog or a favorite of fewer than 3 points, including 9-0-1 ATS in the last 10 games. 

PLAY ON: vs. Pittsburgh (11/17) 

CINCINNATI BENGALS – BRR, COLD SNAP

Meet the team that PFF labeled as the most likely to go from worst to first this season. With all-world QB Joe Burrow healthy and anxious to make amends, and every team in the NFL’s toughest division – the AFC North – likely to close out the season with black eyes and bruised ribs, the likelihood of that prediction coming true is Yes -120. It will all start during the first six weeks of the season with four games against teams that were a combined 16-52 in 2023, all of whom finished the season 14 net games below their projected season win totals (Commanders, Giants, Panthers, and Patriots). A fast start will be imperative with the Bengals slated to take on no less than eight opponents in Prime-Time contests. The Bengals’ No. 1 priority should be keeping Burrow upright following the injury-riddled start to his career. They signed the 6-foot-8, 345-pound Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason and have now added two more massive bookends this offseason. Cincinnati signed the 6-foot-8, 370-pound Trent Brown in free agency and used its first-round pick (No. 18) in the 2024 NFL Draft on the 6-foot-8, 340-pound Amarius Mims. They know where their bread is buttered.

Season Win Total: 10.5  

Odds To Make Playoffs YES -210 / NO +180

Stat You Will Like: The Bengals are 23-6 SU and 22-5-2 ATS in their last twenty-nine non-division games, including 15-3 SU and 15-2-1 ATS against winning opponents.

PLAY ON: vs. Pittsburgh (12/1) 

CLEVELAND BROWNS – HIGH FIVE

Let’s get the bad news out of the way. The Browns will face arguably the toughest schedule this upcoming season, with 12 games against teams that had winning records in 2023. Their home schedule is especially brutal, featuring five games against last year’s playoff teams: the Steelers, Ravens, Chiefs, Dolphins, and Cowboys. The offseason brought a major coaching overhaul, with perhaps the most significant change being Bill Callahan’s replacement by Andy Dickerson as the offensive line coach. Additionally, Ken Dorsey took over as the new offensive coordinator. Dorsey aims to implement a scheme similar to what QB Deshaun Watson thrived in while in Houston – a three-wide receiver set out of the shotgun. Amidst all this turnover, head coach Kevin Stefanski wisely recruited former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel as a consultant. A Cleveland native and Ohio State alum with “The Land” running through his veins, Vrabel is sure to be embraced by fans and players alike. Behind the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, and with a healthy Watson and star RB Nick Chubb back – plus the additions of WR Jerry Jeudy and backup QB Jameis Winston – the Browns could be the team to beat in the rugged AFC North.

Season Win Total: 8.5 OVER -150  

Odds To Make Playoffs YES +165 / NO +190

Stat You Will Like: The Browns started a league-high five different quarterbacks. In 2022 the Cardinals led the league when they started four different quarterbacks.

PLAY AGAINST: at Philadelphia (10/13)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS – PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

The Steelers experienced several unprecedented events in 2023. Most notably, they became the first NFL team with a winning record to lose a pair of games to teams that were each eight games under .500, against Arizona and New England – both at home and each on successive weeks. They were close to recording their first losing season under Mike Tomlin without a three-game season-ending win streak. Amidst these struggles, the Steelers made a bold move by acquiring quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Fields, who started 38 games in the past three seasons, was obtained for a conditional 6th-round pick and boasted a higher QBR (51) compared to Wilson’s 44 over the last two seasons. Remarkably, Wilson might become the first player to play against a former team (Denver) while they cover 87% of his salary. Both quarterbacks endured a combined 89 sacks with their previous teams in 2023. Despite these challenges, the Steelers’ offensive line remains a key strength; the only unit in the NFL that has started every game over the past two seasons. This stability in the line is expected to bolster the run game, providing a crucial foundation for the team as they look to improve in the upcoming season. Playing in the rugged AFC North, they are going to need it.

Season Win Total: 8 OVER -130  

Odds To Make Playoffs YES +170 / NO -200

Stat You Will Like:  The Steelers were outgained in each of their first 10 games of the season in 2023.

PLAY AGAINST: at Cleveland (11/21)

The 2024 AFC NORTH Playoff Preview is presented by Playbook Sports, where Marc Lawrence has been providing top handicapping tips and picks for nearly three decades. Get his top picks and best bets here at gamblersWORLD.