NFL Futures: The Top Division Bets to Make Following Week 5

NFL Futures: The Top Division Bets to Make Following Week 5 article feature image
Credit:

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson

  • We ran 10,000 simulations of the 2019 NFL season to find the most likely division winners.
  • Using our projections, we have highlighted two future bets to place before Week 6 kicks off.

Five weeks into the 2019 NFL season there are four winless teams. Hope looks to be lost for these poor franchises, but the dream of a Super Bowl run is still alive for — most of — the rest of the league.

To reach the Super Bowl each team must first make the playoffs. The surest way to qualify for the postseason is to win a division.

With that in mind, we ran 10,000 simulations of the 2019 NFL season using player and team statistics adjusted for strength of schedule to produce projected playoff and Super Bowl probabilities heading into Week 6.


Odds as of Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150).


By comparing our model to the betting odds at PointsBet, we have found two division bets worth making before kickoff of Week 6.

Houston Texans to win AFC South

  • Current odds: +150, Implied Probability: 40.0%
  • Texans win division 58.5% of the time

There is a logjam in the AFC South. The Texans and Colts are 3-2 while the Jaguars and Titans are 2-3. It looks to be anyone’s division to win with each team listed at plus-money.

Our simulations disagree with the oddsmakers. The Texans should be clear favorites to win the AFC South and it all starts with the quarterback.

Deshaun Watson was filthy in Week 5 throwing for a career-high 426 yards and five touchdowns. The Texans passer is the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns with five incompletions or fewer in a game. He also had a perfect 158.3 passer rating on the day.

We love the Mississippi Mustache (a.k.a. Gardner Minshew), Jacoby Brissett is filling in admirably for Andrew Luck and Marcus Mariota is playing some of the best football of his career (7 TDs, 0 INTs) but none of them can reach the heights of Watson.

As long as the Texans can keep Watson upright and healthy this offense will be explosive. Our model has Houston winning the division 58.5% of the time. That would put the team’s odds to win the division at -140, not +150. There is value betting the Texans plus-money to win the division.

Green Bay Packers to win NFC North

  • Current odds: +120, Implied Probability: 45.5%
  • Packers win division 56.0% of the time

The Packers went on the road as an underdog and beat the Cowboys by double digits in Week 5. Aaron Jones led the way rushing for 107 yards and four touchdowns. The defense picked off Dak Prescott three times and had three timely sacks of the Cowboys quarterback.

After the impressive performance, Green Bay entered the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency according to Football Outsiders DVOA. The Cheeseheads are one of four teams to rank in the top 10 in both categories.

The Packers are now 4-1 with home games upcoming against the Lions and Raiders that could have them at 6-1 with a stranglehold on the NFC North. Chicago is 1-1 in division play while Minnesota is 0-2, and Detroit plays its first division game against Green Bay on Sunday.

Rodgers & Co. are sitting pretty in the division, but for some reason the oddsmakers still have the Packers at plus-money. Our simulations make them the clear favorites. Move quickly to place this bet as the Pack will likely be odds-on favorites to win the division after beating the Lions on Sunday.

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