Year after year, division winner odds provide the betting public the chance to hit a moderately big win or two. Two years ago only three of the eight favorites to win the division ended up cashing, while that number was four last year and included two big favorites in the Chiefs and 49ers. While only two teams with minus odds to win the division did so, two more won their divisions despite having the longest odds on the board by a mile.

The Houston Texans rode an incredible Rookie of the Year season from C.J. Stroud and an immediate defensive improvement led by new coach DeMeco Ryans to edge out the favored Jaguars and Colts by one win in the AFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shook off the retirement of Tom Brady to improve by a win and take the NFC South on a tiebreaker with the Saints. Both divisions have clear favorites this year -- one the defending division champ, one not -- who may provide value for bettors by again digging deep for the surprise division winners that happen every season.

As part of our series previewing the NFL futures market in advance of the 2024 season, we're going to break down our betting strategy in all eight divisions below. We'll rank the four teams in each division by the value we believe is represented by their best odds among four national sportsbooks. While we didn't have the Texans or Buccaneers first in their divisions last year, we certainly didn't have either last; that honor went to the favorites in each division. Sometimes knowing what not to bet is almost as valuable as knowing what to bet.

2024 NFL division winner odds

AFC

NFC

Which NFL division favorites are worth backing, and which should be faded? And which longshots make for the best value plays to win their divisions? ... Join SportsLine right now to see NFL division winner futures betting strategy from SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert!