In the AFC North, there are three good football teams and the Cleveland Browns. It has been a dogfight to the postseason in each of the past several seasons, and the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals all project to be fairly competitive this season.
Each of the three teams has won the division at least once in the past five years, while Cleveland has never won it in its current iteration. Baltimore has been the best lately, winning it in four of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson’s seven seasons.
In 2025, the Ravens are -140 favorites to win their third straight title at DraftKings Sportsbook, but Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers won’t let their squads go down without a fight.
AFC North Winner Odds
Barring an injury that causes Jackson to miss time, Baltimore’s season should be relatively drama-free until the middle of January. Jackson, whose 119.6 passer rating in 2024 was the fourth-highest in NFL history, has nothing left to prove in the regular season. Neither does Derrick Henry, whose resurgent 2024 season saw him take 325 carries for 1,921 yards and a league-leading 16 rushing scores. It’s possible that Henry might start to show some signs of decline at the age of 31, but even with a slight dip in production from The King, the Ravens should have the league’s most potent rushing attack for the third straight season.
There are some questions elsewhere on the roster. In particular, the wide receiver room is questionable; Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers are fine young players, but overall, Baltimore lacks the elite wideout talent that some of their top division and Super Bowl rivals do. The Ravens will also have to trust a rookie kicker, most likely Tyler Loop, after cutting franchise icon Justin Tucker during the offseason. However, the team had the league’s best rushing defense last season and rosters arguably its best safety in Kyle Hamilton, in addition to AP All-Pro First Teamer Marlon Humphrey, so opposing offenses should be forewarned.
The Bengals made several notable offseason moves. They shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to re-sign their wide receiver duo, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, to huge extensions, and have been unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a new contract with defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Their defense, which was already among the worst in the league last season, might suffer even more if Hendricks and first-round pick Shemar Stewart sit out the season, since neither Demetrius Knight nor Barrett Carter project as above-average Day One starters. It projects to be another season of heavily leaning on Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Mike Gesicki, plus breakout star Chase Brown.
Pittsburgh’s transactions have been more flashy. The Steelers dealt wideout George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, traded for Seattle Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf to replace him, and signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers for an NFL swan song. Earlier today, they also traded for three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, aiding a secondary that ranked as the league’s 10th-worst coverage unit last season, and tight end Jonnu Smith, but it cost them three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. After the moves, Pittsburgh’s odds to win the division jumped from +550 to +500 and Baltimore’s dropped to -140, but I’m still pessimistic about the Steelers’ roster overall.
Even though the minus odds might ward some people off, the AFC North runs through the Ravens. Jackson has been fairly durable throughout his career, and he’s the best player at the league’s most important position. Cincinnati’s defense has too many questions for it to top the division.
