The AFC South is no longer the laughingstock of the NFL.
It's become a deep, competitive division with a lot of young talent and intriguing storylines. The Texans sit as the favorites at +110, followed by the Jaguars (+245), Colts (+380), and the rebuilding Titans (+800). Let's dive into our favorite preseason futures.
Continue below for Stuckey and Anthony Dabbundo's favorite AFC South predictions for the 2026 NFL season, which include a Super Bowl bet, a Week 1 pick, and two win total over/unders.
NFL Futures — AFC South Predictions
| NFL Futures Picks |
|---|
| Texans Super Bowl Bet |
| Jaguars Win Total Bet |
| Colts Week 1 Bet |
| Titans Win Total Bet |
Texans to Win AFC South (+110) / Super Bowl (+2000)
I took a flyer on the Texans to win the Super Bowl at +2000. The AFC is pretty wide open this year, and Houston has a clear path if it can get the offense to slightly above average.
Defensively, they are rock solid. Assuming they stay healthy, the Texans should be a top-five unit in the NFL.
They boast two of the best edge rushers, arguably the best cornerback trio in the league, and a massive luxury in Jalen Pitre playing the nickel. They don't need exotic schemes — they line up, play quarters, get pressure, and cover you.
The questions all revolve around the offense.
C.J. Stroud took a lot of heat for a historically bad postseason performance, but let's look at the context: he was outdoors in bad weather, Nico Collins was hurt, Dalton Schultz went down early, and the offensive line was atrocious (bottom three in run block and pass block win rate last year).
They brought in David Montgomery to fix the non-existent running game, but it all comes down to the offensive line. Can second-year tackle Blake Fisher or Aireontae Ersery take a leap? Can rookie Keylan Rutledge hit right away?
If the line improves and Tank Dell returns healthy, 20-1 is a great price for a team with an elite defense. I project them at 9.9 wins.
I'm betting the Texans to win the AFC South.
Their defense gave them the best starting field position in the league last year, but the offense simply couldn't capitalize. They ranked 29th in red-zone efficiency and 27th inside the 10-yard line.
It was a running joke on The Ringer podcast: long drive, field goal, long drive, field goal. If they find any positive regression or new ideas in the red zone, they automatically take a leap into the top-five conversation.
The way the league is trending toward heavier personnel and under-center looks actually favors the Texans, who can hide their offensive line flaws by throwing big bodies on the field.
Jaguars Under 9.5 Wins (-140)
I am definitely a seller on the Jaguars this year. I project them at 8.85 wins, making the Under 9.5 my play.
Jacksonville's offense took off in the second half of the year under Liam Coen, scoring a franchise-record 474 points.
Coen fixed the team's motion rates (going from dead last to top 10) and Trevor Lawrence looked much more aggressive.
However, the offensive line is already dealing with injuries, trading for a horrendous depth piece in Daniel Faalele, and potentially starting rookie Emmanuel Pregnon at guard.
My bigger concern is the defense. The Jaguars are due for massive regression.
Last year, they went from nine forced turnovers in 2024 to an absurd 32, making them the first team in NFL history to make that jump. They had a 71% fumble recovery rate (third-highest in 10 years) and led the NFL with 110 points off turnovers.
You simply cannot replicate that luck year over year.
Add in the loss of All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd and a brutal schedule that features only six true home games, back-to-back London games, and a brutal late-season road stretch, and I think they miss the playoffs.
I am pretty lukewarm on the Jaguars.
Their second-half offensive explosion came against a lot of bad defenses that couldn't generate any pressure on Trevor Lawrence (Indy twice with injuries, the Jets, the Titans twice, and the Cardinals).
When they play real pass defenses, I expect things to go down the drain behind a bottom-five offensive line.
Defensively, the Jags ranked 19th in pressure rate last year, meaning they are closer to a league-average unit than a top-tier one.
Colts Over 7.5 Wins (-110) / Colts +3.5 (Week 1)
If I had to take a flyer on a division winner here, I would take the Colts at +380.
Shane Steichen is an incredible playcaller. He took a team with backup Daniel Jones off the couch and led them to the 5th-ranked offense in DVOA.
They do need their offensive line to stay healthy, but the Colts are a factory at the position with Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, and young hits like Matt Goncalves.
The key to their season is Daniel Jones' early health. They face a brutal five-game stretch to open the year (BAL, at KC, HOU, WAS, at PIT). If Jones is healthy and they survive that gauntlet, the schedule lightens up significantly.
Defensively, it's fascinating.
They purged their veterans and might start four rookies, including Justin Walley holding down the critical nickel spot. If Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner stay healthy, the cornerback trio is elite.
With the first pick in the 2026 NFL Sunday Six-Pack, I am taking the Colts +3.5 against the Ravens in Week 1. I also bet their Over 7.5 wins.
This Steichen offense is completely quarterback-proof. He has rolled out Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, Riley Leonard, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, and Daniel Jones, and the offense still hums.
My worry is the defense covering the middle of the field. They want to play man coverage with Ward and Gardner, but their pass rush ranked just 24th last year.
The Colts need Laiatu Latu to become an elite edge rusher to protect those young linebackers and safeties in coverage.
Titans Under 6.5 Wins (-120)
I lean to the under here.
The Titans were a disaster last year at 3-14, going 1-8 at home against the hardest schedule in the league.
They cleaned house, bringing in Robert Saleh as head coach, Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator, and Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator. It's basically a hodgepodge of ex-Giants and Jets.
Offensively, you hope JC Latham gets better, but you are starting Austin Schlottmann at center and Fernando Carmona at right guard.
Defensively, they have one of the worst nickel situations in the NFL with Marcus Harris, and depth is a major issue outside of Jeffery Simmons.
I bet the Titans Under 6.5 Wins.
I do not believe in this organization. Four straight years below 6.5 Pythagorean wins, and now they are banking on retread coaches to fix Cam Ward.
Ward had one of the worst rookie quarterback seasons by success rate for a first-round pick that we've ever seen (worse than Zach Wilson's rookie year). Putting him under pressure behind a bad offensive line in a deep AFC is a recipe for a five-win ceiling.
