NFL AFC South Betting Odds

The NFL’s 2002 reformation saw the league expanded to 32 teams. Sides were shifted to different divisions and brand new groups were created, with the AFC South being one such grouping.

Contested between the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans, the AFC South is considered a ‘new’ division due to the youthfulness of some of the teams and the rebirth of the group just 20 years ago. Last season’s winners — the Colts — played in the AFC East until the league’s remapping, while the Texans were only founded in the division’s opening season. 

Neither the Titans nor Texans have started the season particularly well — forcing sports betting sites to push both franchises further down the pecking order. Three defeats in both outfits’ opening five affairs have left the pair licking their wounds. That said, the turbulent form of the sides above means the AFC South remains a highly competitive and unpredictable division as the Jaguars look to win a second divisional title in a row. 

AFC South Teams

Jacksonville Jaguars

2023 is a year of hope for the Jacksonville Jaguars. General manager Trent Baalke, now in his third year at the helm, is setting his sights on a second AFC South title win on the bounce — a feat not achieved by the Jaguars since the late 1990s. 

More than anything else, the Jaguars need to improve on their overall record of last season. 9-8 may have been enough to scrape the AFC South championship, but it wasn’t without issue. Three victories by Week 10 in 2022 forced Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson to reevaluate their options, leading to six wins in the final seven fixtures. There’s no doubt that AFC South’s lack of strength helped the newly titled EverBank Stadium-based side to the trophy. 

By the fifth round of games in 2023, Jags fans had not seen their side win in Jacksonville. A double-header in the UK and an opening weekend trip to the Lucas Oil Stadium made up the first three wins, while the first two defeats came on home soil. 

Tennessee Titans

A disastrous end to the 2022–23 NFL campaign resulted in multiple firings and hirings at the Titans. No wins between mid-November and the end of the regular season saw them go from a solid record of 7-3 to a disappointing 7-10, thus missing out on the playoffs and the AFC South title. Yet, the mediocrity of the AFC South allowed the KSA Industries-owned franchise to hold on to second spot on the table. 

For 2023, Todd Downing, Keith Carter, Erik Frazier, and Anthony Midget are out. These changes followed a couple of managerial switches in 2022 as Jon Robinson left his role as general manager in December. Ryan Cowden came in on a short-term basis, with Ran Carthorn now running the Titans’ ship. 

There’s been a slight improvement in the Titans’ efforts this year, though. Two home victories in the first five weeks haven’t lifted them from the bottom of AFC South, but it’s a start. If Ryan Tannehill can reach the heights of 2020 and 2021 at the ripe age of 35, the Titans might just have a chance of putting up a title charge.

Indianapolis Colts

It’s been eight years since the Colts last won the AFC South. In the near-decade since that victory, Colts’ supporters have been put through every emotion possible. Last time around the only emotion felt by the team’s faithful was that of pain. 

Four wins across the entire regular season — including one in the final four months — hit the franchise hard. Getting rid of Frank Reich did very little to help matters, with interim coach Jeff Saturday failing to snatch a victory in seven of his eight games partnered with Chris Ballard.

2023 serves as a much-needed breath of fresh air. Ballard’s squad has scored 20 points or better in every outing up to Week 5 — winning three of those meetings. There’s an opportunity to create an exciting journey here, but Anthony Richardson’s recent injury could see the quarterback miss more than a month of game time. Gardner Minshew must now take the stage. 

Houston Texans

After claiming six championships between 2011 and 2019, the Texans should have entered 2022 as one of the favorites for the AFC South title. However, that couldn’t have been further from reality.

13 defeats in 2022–23 and a trio of victories left fans desolate. Not only did they finish bottom of the group, but the Texans also failed to win a single home game — all of which resulted in the firing of a third coach in as many years. 

NRG Stadium hosted a victory at the beginning of the 2023 season as the Texans took on the Steelers. It proved to be a short period of positivity, though, with the Atlanta Falcons taking the win one week later. 

While the AFC South remains tightly contested — mainly due to the poor form of other teams — the Texans will always have a chance to grab an unlikely division title.

Previous Winners

2018 – Houston Texans

It was a year of mixed emotions for the Texans — owner Bob McNair passed away midway through the campaign, leaving behind an impactful legacy following two decades in Houston. His wife Janice and son Daniel took control of the team in his stead.

On the field, DeShaun Watson grabbed headlines as the quarterback threw for 4,165 yards at an average of little more than 260 yards per game. Lamar Miller also impressed in 2018, while DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Blue had their moments. Defensively, J.J. Watt boasted more sacks than anybody else on the roster at a mighty 16.

By January, the Texans had accumulated an 11-5 record, with the majority of those victories coming in a tremendous nine-game winning streak midway through the year. Fourth in the conference and seventh in the league was enough to satisfy most followers.

2019 – Houston Texans

Consistency was absent throughout the Texans’ 2019 campaign. Each time Bill O’Brien’s men secured a victory, they’d match that result with another win. However, two wins in a row was always followed by a defeat. As a result, the Texans' record read 10-6 — worse than the previous year.

A strange season culminated in a negative points differential. In spite of the fact the Texans ran out AFC South division winners, their poor defensive record meant they were the only divisional winner to have a negative points difference. Some might say it was a sign of things to come.

DeShaun Watson again led the attack, albeit with fewer passing yards than the previous season. Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney amassed a combined 243 tackles but couldn’t prevent the Texans from conceding more points than were scored. On a conference and league level, the Texans stagnated, finishing fourth and eighth respectively.

2020 – Tennessee Titans

In 2020, the Titans prevented the Texans from winning an AFC South championship for the first time since 2017. Even more impressive was the side’s start to the year, winning all five games as the season’s fixtures rolled out. This form was largely thanks to Derrick Henry — who later became only the second Titans player to rush for 2,000 yards — although general manager Jon Robinson was unable to extract the same level of winning consistency from the rest of the squad for the remainder of the season. 

The Chiefs, Bills, and Steelers each accrued more wins than the Nissan Stadium-based team, pushing the Titans down to fourth on the overall AFC standings. The football league table made for poor reading, too, with the Titans down in seventh.

2021 – Tennessee Titans

A fourth AFC South division victory — and the franchises’ first successive divisional win — had many wondering if Jon Robinson could lead the team to a Super Bowl triumph. After all, the Titans improved on their 11-5 record of the previous year by going 12-5 this time around and made their home ground something of a fortress.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and A.J. Brown led the line in the statistics department but the Titans failed to make it past the divisional round. Yet, their efforts were good enough for first in the conference and third in the league.

2022 – Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars earned the number one position in a crushingly poor display from all involved in the AFC South division. While fans had every right to celebrate their team’s success — and appreciate the heart displayed in their fightback during the playoffs — the win just papered over cracks. 

Trevor Lawrence carried the weight of the world on his shoulders for much of 2022. Passing for over 4,000 yards, the 24-year-old virtually carried his teammates to victory, receiving praise from media and fans alike. His performances upped the game of those around him, as Travis Etienne Jr. and Christian Kirk outdid the Jaguars’ top rushing and receiving players of 2021; James Robinson and Marvin Jones Jr. 

The Jaguars failed to make the top five in the conference or the league.

How to Bet on AFC South

When you back one team to beat another, it’s called a moneyline bet. If your prediction is correct, the sportsbook pays out in accordance with the amount of money stakes and the odds taken. The same applies to parlays, totals, systems, and other popular bet types. 

You’ll need to sign up at a sportsbook before jumping into a wager, though. See below for a quick guide on how to create an account with a licensed betting platform.

1. Visit a sportsbook, like those linked on this page.
2. Click ‘Register’ or ‘Sign Up’.
3. Enter your personal information in the fields provided.
4. Verify your identity using bank statements, ID cards, or other documents.
5. Confirm the creation of your account and begin betting. 

That’s all there is to it! Once you’re all set up, you can indulge in futures, player props, team props, specials, and more. Just add a selection to your betslip and place a wager. 

Responsible Gambling

Of all the betting strategies you’ll find online, there’s one that beats all else; the responsible gambling strategy. By betting within your means and monitoring the amount of time spent on gambling platforms, you can avoid falling into the ‘just one more bet’ trap. 

Most sportsbooks support healthy and responsible gambling by providing helpful betting tools. You can set deposit limits, bet limits, time restrictions, and even exclude yourself from betting for a set period of time. In addition, you should set up personal rules to avoid going overboard, like not betting when you’re with family and friends, or at certain times of the day. It’s often the smallest gestures that can provide the most respite. 

Where to Get Help

• Gambler’s Anonymous – Meet with others to discuss and help one another through a common problem. 
• National Council on Problem Gambling – Locate your nearest access point for gambling support by referring to the NCPG.
• Gambling Therapy – Offering free steps and advice for anyone suffering from problem gambling. 
• Algamus – A residential gambling support service with one-to-one care for almost all members. 

Frequently Asked Questions