Current AFC North odds have the Pittsburgh Steelers as the second favorite to win the division. DraftKings Sportsbook has the black and gold priced at two-to-one (+200) to win the division, behind the Baltimore Ravens priced at +150.
Less than a month ago, the Steelers opened at +1100 to claim a division title—the longest shot in the AFC North.
A Clearer AFC North Picture is Developing
The Cleveland Browns have a Deshaun Watson issue. The expensive starting QB is a cinderblock roped around the waist of a talented Browns roster. In Week 3, the Browns lost to the New York Giants 21-15, with Watson taking eight sacks.
Cincinnati, the sexy pick before the season, sits at 0-3. They came out flat in Week 1, losing to a horrible New England Patriots team 16-10. The arrow pointed up after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, with QB Joe Burrow throwing for 258 yards and two TDs in the loss.
The Bengals needed a Week 3 win versus the Washington Commanders and came up short, losing 38-33. The Monday Night Football tilt served not as a Cincinnati reclamation game but as Jayden Daniels’ coming-out party.
Baltimore, the current AFC North favorite, has a 1-2 record after losing the season-opener to the Kansas City Chiefs and a Week 2 home game to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens got their first win versus the Dallas Cowboys 28-25 in Week 3 but allowed 19 unanswered fourth-quarter points.
The Steelers continue to surprise. After winning the first two weeks while scoring only one touchdown, the dam burst in Week 3. QB Justin Fields went 25-32 for 245 and a TD pass as Pittsburgh hung 20 on a Los Angeles Chargers defense.
The Steelers defense remains their calling card and the current squad is on a historic pace.
The NFL is Chaos
For the first time in 70 years, the biggest underdog in the first three weeks of the NFL season won outright. The Patriots (+8) beat the Bengals in Week 1. The Raiders (+9) offed the Ravens in Week 2. The Commanders (+7) downed the Bengals in Week 3.
All three favorites were AFC North teams.
NFL chaos isn’t exclusive to the AFC North. Underdogs of +5.5 or higher over three weeks are 13-2 against the spread. The Sam Darnold-led Minnesota Vikings are 3-0. Who saw that coming?
The Steelers will experience an unexpected or bad loss at some point—they won’t go undefeated. But the post-Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh Steelers are the ultimate chaos agent.
How else can one explain last year’s playoff birth after losing to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots and an offense that ranked 28th in points per game?
Steelers Stock on the Rise
The Steelers’ next three opponents are the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Las Vegas Raiders—all winnable games.
Baltimore plays the red-hot Buffalo Bills, the desperate Cincinnati Bengals, and the Washington Commanders.
Should the Steelers carry a 5-1 or 6-0 record after six weeks, the AFC North odds will have the Steelers as a significant favorite to win the division heading into the season’s second half.