NFL Division Predictions 2020: AFC South Picks

Brian Sausa, Last Updated: September 16th, 2024 - NJ Sports Betting - Free $3,250 For Sports Bets In New Jersey

Here at BonusSeeker, we are providing 2020 NFL betting previews for each division, and now is the time to make our AFC South predictions!

The countdown to Week 1 is on and online sportsbooks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and several other states where wagering is legal are busy accepting NFL futures wagers of all kinds before the season starts.

For example, everybody knows you can wager on division winner, conference winner, and Super Bowl champion. But these sites are also offering tons of prop betting markets for each individual team before the season starts.

So if you re looking for a few places to put your money before the season, consider the following 2020 AFC South betting picks.

Who Will Win The AFC South In 2020?

In 2019, the Houston Texans won the division at 10-6 but the landscape sure has changed. DeAndre Hopkins is gone from Houston, the Colts have a new face under center, and the Titans are coming off a great run to the AFC title game.

So taking everything into account, who will win the AFC South in 2020?

Make AFC South Picks At BetMGM!

Houston still has Deshaun Watson and some weapons on offense but this is no longer the favorite to win the division. That honor goes to Indianapolis, who now has Philip Rivers at quarterback. For our money, however, we’re going with the team that established a blueprint to win late in 2019.

As was the case in the second half of last season, Tennessee will look to ride Derrick Henry and the run game while Ryan Tannehill properly manages games. Even though teams will know it’s coming, there’s still a question of whether they’ll be able to stop it.

Assuming the running game continues to produce and the re-tooled defense doesn’t suffer a major drop-off after losing some pieces, we like Tennessee to win the division and be a much less surprising contender in 2020.

AFC South Division Winner Pick: Tennessee Titans (+160 at BetMGM)

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For similar predictions regarding the rest of the league, check out our NFL division prediction series:

• NFC East
• AFC East
• AFC North
• NFC North
• NFC South
• NFC West
• AFC West

AFC South Win Total Predictions

• Indianapolis Colts Over 8.5 Wins (-176 at BetMGM)

According to Football Outsiders, the Colts ranked seventh in pass protection last season. That’s a good thing because Philip Rivers is immobile and will need help. Another positive is the group of weapons surrounding the veteran signal-caller.

There’s an easy stretch at the start of the schedule before things get tougher in the middle. Toward the end, there are a few winnable games (Las Vegas, Houston, Jacksonville) that should be enough to get Indy to nine wins. For those looking hard enough, the line is nine at some sites.

• Tennessee Titans Over 8.5 Wins (-130 at DraftKings)

The Titans proved to have a dominant running game with Derrick Henry running behind a strong offensive line. Even though teams will know it’s coming, there’s still a question of whether they’ll be able to stop it. The unit is returning 10 of 11 starters and should have similar success.

Judging the schedule is definitely a toss-up here, and it seems like a pretty balanced draw, though there’s a middle stretch that will be key. It’s been four straight 9-7 seasons for Tennessee and we’re willing to bet Mike Vrabel’s team relies on that run game to get to double-digits and possibly win the division.

• Houston Texans Over 7.5 Wins (+100 at BetMGM)

What to make of the 2019 AFC South champs after their coach/GM sends the team’s best player out of town? Well, the Texans may not be as bad this season as some people think even though they’re still not going to have an easy time of it without DeAndre Hopkins.

There’s still some skill on offense, starting with Watson obviously and featuring David Johnson, Brandin Cooks, and Will Fuller V. We have no idea what to expect from this group without Hopkins, but the good thing might be that defenses won’t either.

We won’t get carried away considering the schedule is pretty tough, but we still think 8-8 while cashing for the over is a very realistic Texans win total prediction.

• Jacksonville Jaguars Under 5 Wins (-164 at BetMGM)

If we had a pick for which team will have the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, it would be the Jacksonville Jaguars. The over/under is five but we truly expect a three or four-win team by the time it is all said and done.

Jacksonville’s defense is still pretty strong, so we don’t expect them to allow 30 points per game. But there’s some tape on Gardner Minshew II and aside from D.J. Chark, there isn’t much to trust from a skill-position standpoint, even if there’s some talent there.

Being the worst of the four teams in any division is tough, but things don’t get easier outside of the AFC South and the Jags appear overmatched in every game on their schedule. Undoubtedly, they’ll win a few but we can’t say 6-10 feels likely.

2020 AFC South Record Predictions

Another market that is growing in popularity among bettors at NJ and PA betting sites is the exact wins for an NFL team. Here are our AFC South record predictions:

• Indianapolis Colts Record Prediction: 10-6

• Tennessee Titans Record Prediction: 9-7

• Houston Texans Record Prediction: 8-8

• Jacksonville Jaguars Record Prediction: 4-12

There’s no doubt that selecting an exact number of wins for a team prior to the season is an extremely difficult thing to do. That’s why odds for these markets can be lucrative at sites such as BetMGM, and hopefully, this can provide a baseline for what a team’s record might be to help pinpoint a number to take advantage of.

AFC South Best Bets

The markets that are most commonly wagered on when it comes to preseason NFL futures are win totals, division winners, conference winners, and Super Bowl champion.

In addition to these categories, certain sites have dozens of little-known prop betting markets for every team in the league. The exact wagers offered and the odds will vary between sites, but it does present enough options to ensure everyone will find something they prefer.

We dug into the markets offered at a couple of different sites we trust, looking for a steady balance of value and what we expect to happen. Here are our preseason AFC South best bets:

• Tennessee Titans 9-12 Wins (-110 at BetMGM)
• Tennessee Titans Win AFC South (+160 at DraftKings)
• Tennessee Titans To Make Playoffs: Yes (-134 at BetMGM)

• Indianapolis Colts Second Place AFC South (+180 at BetMGM)
• Indianapolis Colts First Loss Week 2 vs. Minnesota (+170 at BetMGM)
• Indianapolis Colts To Make The Playoffs: No (+154 at DraftKings)

• Houston Texans To Make Playoffs: No (-182 at BetMGM)
• Houston Texans First Win: Week 4 vs. Vikings (+350 at DraftKings)
• Houston Texans Over 7.5 Wins (+100 at BetMGM)

• Jacksonville Jaguars 0-4 Wins (-105 at BetMGM)
• Jacksonville Jaguars First Win: Week 3 vs. Dolphins (+185 at DraftKings)
• Jacksonville Jaguars Fourth Place AFC South (-420 at BetMGM)

Stay tuned for more 2020 NFL betting predictions for each division as Week 1 gets closer!

Photo Credit: AP Images

ABOUT Brian Sausa

Brian Sausa is BonusSeeker’s Copy Editor and lead sports betting pundit. A journalism graduate with an extensive sports background, Brian has been employed by multiple professional leagues including MLB, MiLB (Minor League Baseball), and the NHL. MLB, NHL, IBTimes, Brooklyn Cyclones, FanSided