NFC South odds (New Orleans Saints favored to be best of the worst)
Are the Saints the right bet to win the worst division in football, or is there another team that presents better value?
With Tom Brady officially out of the picture and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemingly in rebuild mode, many people are claiming the NFC South is the worst division in football in 2023.
It's hard to argue that fact with the projected four starting quarterbacks being Derek Carr, Desmond Ridder, Baker Mayfield, and Bryce Young.
The great thing about a bad division is that someone has to win, so without there being a clear cut favorite like the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, it may end up being one of the most exciting divisional races throughout the season.
Let's take a look at the odds to win the NFC South this season.
NFC South division odds
Implied probability to win NFC South
- New Orleans Saints: 43.48%
- Atlanta Falcons: 30.3%
- Carolina Panthers: 20%
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11.11%
NFC South best bet
Falcons +230
Who let the resident Falcons fan write this article? Of course I'm going to back the Dirty Birds, but it's not without reason. I assure you, I'm not being blinded by my fandom.
The Falcons have quietly made some significant improves to their team this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the football. They added plenty of veteran pieces that are going to take this defense in the right direction.
Included in the list of new faces on the Falcons defense are Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, Bud Dupree, and most notablty, Jessie Bates from the Bengals.
Add that in with the fact they drafted arguably the best offensive weapon in the draft in Bijan Robinson, and all of a sudden they're looking like a team that could surprise some folks this season.
When it comes to the Saints, I don't have faith in their new quarterback, Derek Carr. The Saints were second last in the NFL last season in average turnover margin per game, but then tried to address that by going out and getting one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the league in Carr. That's a recipe for disaster.
The Carolina Panthers are a solid team and have surrounded their rookie quarterback, Bryce Young, with some solid weapons like Adam Thielen, but they're still a year or two away from being a real contender.
Finally, the Bucs have little to no chance and they may throw in the towel on the season early to try to get the projected No. 1 draft pick, Caleb Williams.
The Falcons have great value at their current price to win the NFC South.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.