3 Best Divisional Bets for the 2024 Season

Most NFL rosters have rounded into form with the regular season kicking off on September 5th.

With that said, it's not a bad time to hop on some season-long futures via the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel's NFL divisional odds have several intriguing teams who seem poised for divisional crowns.

Here are three of the best to-win-the-division bets for 2024.

NFL Futures

Philadelphia Eagles to Win the NFC East (-125)

Starting with the shortest line among our picks, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to win the NFC East after finishing second last year.

This is expected to be a two-team race with the Dallas Cowboys listed at +165. The Washington Commanders (+1000) and New York Giants (+1400) are far behind as long shots.

Deciding between the Eagles and Cowboys could come down to one simple factor. Any squad repeating as division champs in the NFC East is like winning the lottery; it hasn't been done since Philly pulled it off with four straight titles from 2001 to 2004.

Dallas is the reigning divisional champ, making the Eagles the more enticing pick.

The Eagles also makes sense when looking at offseason moves. The Cowboys mostly got worse, losing Tony Pollard, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz. Plus, Stephon Gilmore and Jayron Kearse remain unsigned and look unlikely to return. To make matters worse, Leighton Vander Esch medically retired this offseason, and key backup defensive end Sam Williams suffered a torn ACL this week.

The only notable additions to Dallas were Eric Kendricks, Ezekiel Elliott, first-round offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, and third-round interior offensive lineman Cooper Beebe.

Kendricks and Elliott are both past their primes, making the moves underwhelming. Guyton and Beebe are promising additions to the O-Line, but there are no guarantees these rookies make an immediate difference.

The Eagles, on the other hand, had yet another terrific offseason. It was led by the additions of free agents Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

The 2024 NFL Draft was another success, adding Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean over the first two rounds. Mitchell is carrying +1400 odds to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (sixth-shortest).

Fletcher Cox, D'Andre Swift, and Kevin Byard were all lost in the offseason. The Eagles did an excellent job of replacing both Swift and Byard, though, and Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are more than capable of filling Cox's shoes.

The Cowboys going backward in the offseason while Philadelphia had an excellent offseason pushes me toward Philly at -125.

Houston Texans to Win the AFC South (+105)

Now, let's get into some plus-odds. Last year, the Houston Texans won their first AFC South title since 2019. The Texans are looking to go back-to-back in the upcoming season.

Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Houston is ranking as the division's best team by a mile, per numberFire's schedule-adjusted ratings. The Texans have 10th-best nERD-based score while the Jacksonville Jaguars rank 19th, the Indianapolis Colts 20th, and the Tennessee Titans 28th.

Various betting odds express the same sentiment. For example, Houston has -200 odds to make the NFL playoffs while the Jags have the next-best chance at +122.

Getting the Texans to win the division at plus-odds is easy to like. This is a rising team with a young core that just won 10 games last season. C.J. Stroud is coming off one of the best rookie seasons for a QB we've seen in years, and he's carrying the third-shortest NFL MVP odds (+1000).

numberFire has Houston with the fifth-best schedule-adjusted passing unit following the addition of Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Pro Football Focus (PFF) labeled the Texans' receiving corps -- made up of Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell -- as the fifth-best unit.

Danielle Hunter was also a major addition on the defensive front alongside second-year edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Across the board, this is an exciting young team on the climb. The AFC South is also expected to be one of the weakest divisions. Give me Houston with their +105 odds.

Green Bay Packers to Win the NFC North (+200)

I saved the longest odds for last with the Green Bay Packers at +200 to top the NFC North.

A year ago, the Detroit Lions won their first NFC North title and first divisional crown since 1993. Detroit is favored to repeat (+130) while ranking as numberFire's sixth-best team. The Packers aren't far behind as numberFire's 11th-best squad.

Both teams are expected to appear in the playoffs, with the Lions at -250 to make the postseason and Green Bay holding -184 odds to do so. They split their two head-to-head clashes in the 2023 season, each winning on the road. Plus, the Packers had an excellent end to the season by advancing to the Divisional Round.

One could argue that Green Bay has the best quarterback in the division. Jordan Love was playing like one of the elite signal-callers in the league to end the 2023 campaign. His 0.20 expected points added per drop back (EPA/db) since Week 10 of last season was the third-best mark behind Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott.

We saw what Love did in the playoffs, as well, posting 1.05 EPA/db in his near-perfect Wild Card performance against the Cowboys.

Love touts the seventh-shortest odds to lead the NFL in passing yards (+1600). Green Bay has the most important position on the field covered.

I cannot stress this enough -- the Packers were a different squad when Love hit his stride in the second half of the 2023 season. Detroit met the Pack once during Love's hot streak, and the Lions fell short as Love ate up the Lions' defense on Thanksgiving, totaling 268 passing yards and 3 touchdowns paired with 0.16 EPA/db.

Not only are the Pack hopeful about Love, they also landed two big-fish free agents in Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs. McKinney made PFF's All-Breakout Team last season, finishing as the league's fourth-highest graded safety (87.8). His 91.2 coverage grade was also the best among safeties. Plus, Jacobs led the league in rushing with 1,653 yards in 2022.

This team was on the rise last season once Love found his stride. Factor in the roster's improvement during the offseason, and the arrow is up on Green Bay.

Green Bay's win total (9.5) is only one game behind Detroit's (10.5). The two split matchups last season, and the Packers could have better QB play in 2024.

Considering how close these teams look ahead of the upcoming season, Green Bay is the side I want to be on.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.