An unfortunate rash of injuries to the once-favored Buffalo Bills, have created an opportunity for the Miami Dolphins to take full control of the AFC East division with a month left in the regular season.
With the New York Jets and New England Patriots dropping from divisional contention before Thanksgiving, it really comes down to whether or not the Bills can catch the Dolphins.
Let’s take a look at the latest AFC East odds, courtesy of the best NFL betting sites , and make our AFC East predictions.
AFC East Odds
The following AFC East betting odds are courtesy of BetUS:
| TEAM | PRESEASON ODDS | DECEMBER ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | +300 | -3000 |
| Buffalo Bills | +120 | +1200 |
| New York Jets | +270 | +25000 |
| New England Patriots | +800 | N/A |
The Dolphins are the heavy odds-on favorites to win the AFC East. According to the BetUS odds, the Dolphins have an implied probability of 96.77 percent to win the division.
The Bills and Jets’ seasons have completely cratered, with key injuries doing both of those squads in. While the Bills can still salvage their year with a playoff push, hope looks lost for the Jets. New York actually opened up the season as a contender to win the AFC East, but the Aaron Rodgers injury and a terrible offensive line have doomed this team.
Due to the Patriots’ dismal season to date, their current 2-10 record puts them statistically out of the AFC East picture. As a result, they are not included in the updated divisional odds at BetUS.
Miami Dolphins (-3000)
For good reason, this high-octane Miami Dolphins squad is in complete control of the AFC East. It would be an epic collapse if the Dolphins somehow lose the division.
Miami is healthy on both sides of the ball. Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane continue to move this offense via both the passing and running game. With four of their remaining five games at home, this should be a team pushing for the top overall seed in the AFC.
Their lone road game is a tricky one at Baltimore, but Mike McDaniel’s group has shown an ability to rise to the occasion many times this season.
Don’t sleep on the Dolphins down the stretch. This is a talented and motivated group, and one who will be very much pushing for a first-round bye and will win the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills (+1200)
While the season is by no means over for the 6-6 Buffalo Bills, it is fair to suggest that things haven’t played out the way they were intended.
Massive injuries on the defensive side of the ball have plagued this group, though their offense hasn’t been as dynamic as many initially thought they would be. They are very much on the playoff bubble right now. However, their AFC East chances have faded with each loss in November.
The Bills enter Week 14 a full three wins behind the Dolphins for first-place. And they have a very difficult remaining schedule. Games at Kansas City and Miami, and a home game to the Dallas Cowboys will give Buffalo an opportunity to show their worth. They could also push them even further down the playoff picture.
Given the difficulty of their remaining schedule, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Bills can catch the Dolphins for the AFC East title.
New York Jets (+25000)
The off-season began with all kinds of optimism on both sides of the football. In fact, the Jets were talked about as a legit contender to the AFC East title. Those aspirations quickly derailed in Week 1 when QB Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on the opening drive.
Since then, the Jets have had very few bright moments. Their defense gave them some hope in a few early-season contests, but their problems on offense leave them little hope.
It’s remarkable they’ve even got four wins to their name given how lethargic their offense has been at times this season. Rumors suggest the Jets will turn back to Zach Wilson to close out another disappointing campaign.
Four consecutive December games against teams vying for the post-season put the Jets’ playoff and divisional title chances firmly in the gutter. Looking back on pre-season odds, it’s confusing to see how this group was a bigger favorite to win the AFC East division than the Dolphins.
AFC East Predictions
After an impressive reign of divisional titles for the Bills, in winning three straight East championships, the Dolphins are a certainty to do so in 2023.
They have an array of relatively easy home games left on their schedule and a shot at the top overall seed in the AFC.
This is a complete roster that remains healthy in key positions on both sides of the ball. The Patriots are pining for first overall, while the Bills and Jets realistically have far too many injuries to contend with to make this battle an interesting one.
Though the AFC East looked a lot different back in the preseason, Miami has emerged as the cream of the crop in the division.
Those preseason odds of +300 look awfully juicy right about now. Like the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, it’s a mere formality that the Dolphins close out the division. However, these chalky odds offer no value and the Bills aren’t worth taking a flier on at the best football betting sites.
