NFL Betting – AFC South Odds and Preview 2020

• The Colts and Titans are co-favorites to win this division

• Philip Rivers has done nearly everything over his career except play in a Super Bowl and now joins Colts

• Titans enter this season having reached the AFC Championship

• Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus with a maximum of $1000

It may not be the best division in the NFL, but the AFC South is likely going to the most competitive in 2020. Last season the Houston Texans claimed their second straight division title and their fourth in five seasons with a 10-6 record. And for the third consecutive year two teams reached the postseason with the Tennessee Titans advancing to the AFC Championship. But when the odds surfaced the Indianapolis Colts were listed as the favorite. Adding a future Hall of Fame quarterback to the roster does that I guess.

Odds to Win 2020 AFC South

Indianapolis Colts +120
Tennessee Titans +147
Houston Texans +380
Jacksonville Jaguars +3000

AFC South Preview

The division certainly didn’t lack for excitement this offseason. Some of the biggest names in the game came and left the AFC South. Let’s start with the big name that joined the fray. In need of a quarterback after the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck prior to last season, the Indianapolis Colts found out that Jacoby Brissett isn’t going to take them where they want to go.

With available cap space and Philip Rivers on the free agent market the two hooked up. Rivers has done nearly everything over his career except play in a Super Bowl. Time is running out as he enters the twilight of his career and he gives a struggling offense a much needed infusion.

Rivers hasn’t missed a game since becoming the Chargers starter in 2006 and produced strong numbers last season. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,615 yards, but his 23 touchdowns were his lowest fewest since 2007 and he was third in the NFL with 20 interceptions. Still the 38-year-old will help the league’s 30th ranked pass offense from a season ago.

Why did the Colts feel the need to sign an aging quarterback? Two seasons ago with Luck at the helm the Colts went 10-6 losing to Kansas City in the divisional playoff round. With Brissett as the starter the year before and after, the Colts won a total of 11 games. That’s why.

Indy also strengthened the team around Rivers making them the odds on favorite to win their first division title in six years. T.Y. Hilton missed six games and still led the team with just 45 catches. To bolster the receivers the Colts drafted Michael Pittman with their first pick. They also added DeForest Buckner, Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie to upgrade a middle-of-the-pack defense.

The other big offseason move came in Houston where the Texans shipped stud receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for banged up David Johnson. In an attempt to fill the void aging Randall Cobb and Brandin Cooks were brought in. Even if those two play up to their ability it’s not as good as what Hopkins brings.

Johnson was a star – about four years ago. Injuries derailed his career and he lost the starting job in Arizona, making him expendable. There’s a chance he returns to the form that made him the NFL’s leader in scrimmage yards in 2016. That’s a huge gamble by Bill O’Brien and one that likely costs the Texans. Sure they’ve won the division two years running, but the Texans leave you wanting more. Now they have less. I see them way overvalued at their current odds.

If anything, the Tennessee Titans have been consistent. For the fourth straight season they finished 9-7, but last year felt different. It’s hard to get shutout in the NFL. When the Titans were blanked by the Broncos in Week 6 it signaled the end of Marcus Mariota’s tenure. Ryan Tannehill took over and the offense clicked. The Titans went 7-3 the rest of the way with a stunning postseason run knocking off New England and top-seed Baltimore on the road to reach the AFC Championship.

It’s Tannehill’s show now and he has to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. He never met the standard in Miami and the club finally gave up on him. Is he a late bloomer or a flash in the pan? We’ll find out since the club paid to keep him around. As long as Derrick Henry runs the football, Tannehill and the offense will be fine. Henry led the NFL with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns.

It’s easy to see which team is at the bottom of the division. The Jags are a mess just three years after playing for the conference title and things aren’t getting better anytime soon. The trade of Nick Foles gave the QB job to sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew. The Jags are hoping their sixth-rounder turns out as good as New England’s from two decades ago.

2020 AFC South Pick

It’s a three-team race and anyone can win it. I do think the Texans gave away too much in the Hopkins deal and I’m not convinced Tannehill can continue what he started last year. The Colts made some serious moves adding an experienced leader in Rivers giving them the edge to claim the AFC South in 2020.

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com