Rebuilt Falcons Atop Betting Odds to Win NFC South
- Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons are the betting odds favorites to win the NFC South in 2024.
- Despite winning three straight division titles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the No. 2 pick to win the NFC South.
- Check out the tight NFL betting odds to win the NFC South in the BetUS NFL sportsbook.
As it is almost every season, the race for first place in the NFC South looks like a fight to the finish that will come down to the final week or two of the regular season. The arrival of quarterback Kirk Cousins has the rebuilt Atlanta Falcons atop the NFL betting odds to win the NFC South in 2024. Will Cousins be able to elevate Atlanta to its first division title since 2016 or will the veteran signal-caller come up small when it matters most?
Despite winning their third consecutive division title last season, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the second-best NFL betting odds of winning the NFC South. Could the former No. 1 overall pick surprise everyone for the second straight season to help the Bucs reach the playoffs for the fourth year in a row?
Down in the Big Easy, Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints are looking to upset the top two favorites to win the NFC South. After finishing the regular season with an identical record to the division-winning Buccaneers a year ago, are the Saints a good dark-horse pick to claim the division title?
Following an abysmal campaign in 2023, the only question for the rebuilding Carolina Panthers seems to be: Are they even worth a longshot online NFL betting pick to upset the entire apple cart in the NFC South?
If you’ve got questions, then I’ve got answers. First, let’s take a look at the odds of winning the NFC South.
2024 NFC South Division Odds
- Atlanta Falcons -125
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +300
- New Orleans Saints +375
- Carolina Panthers +1100
Falcons Head 3 Title Contenders in NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons -125
Is Kirk Cousins a good quarterback, BetUS sportsbook faithful? Yes, but he’s not great by any stretch of the imagination and not worth the four-year, $180 million deal he got from Atlanta. Despite decent career passing statistics, Cousins is just 76-67-2 in 145 career starts and a lackluster 1-3 in four career playoff starts.
Atlanta has a talented collection of young skill-position players, but tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London have largely underachieved after being top-10 picks in the 2021 and 2022 NFL drafts, respectively.
The Falcons used four of their first five draft picks on defensive players after finishing 2023 ranked 18th in points allowed (21.9 PPG), but they didn’t do nearly enough on that side of the ball in free agency to convince me they’re going to be improved.
While I love no-nonsense head coach Raheem Morris, I just don’t see Cousins being good enough to beat the likes of the 49ers, Lions or Eagles if they meet any of the top three favorites to win the NFC Championship in the postseason.
Atlanta could very well win the NFC South in 2024, but it is also a dysfunctional organization that could have a potential quarterback controversy on its hands after unwisely drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.
The Falcons could get off to an ugly 0-3 start, but they finished with five winnable games. A record of 9-8 or 8-9 looks about right to me. Still, for me, Atlanta’s betting odds value isn’t very high seeing as how the team is no lock to win the NFC South in 2024.
Bet On Atlanta Falcons -125 Here!
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +300
After repeatedly ripping Baker Mayfield for his immaturity at the start of his career, I’m firmly on the Baker bandwagon after his solid 2023 campaign. The top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft tossed 28 TD passes and only 10 interceptions last season. Mayfield “balled out” in Tampa Bay’s stunning 32-9 smackdown of Philadelphia in last season’s wild-card matchup by tossing three touchdown passes and put up another solid effort in the Bucs’ divisional-round loss against Detroit a week later.
Tampa Bay finished just 20th in scoring (20.9 ppg) but brought back veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. Defensively, the Bucs finished 19th in points allowed (20.5 PPG) under defensive-oriented head coach Todd Bowles and added veteran pass rusher Randy Gregory, cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas and safety Jordan Whitehead.
I’ve got Tampa Bay getting off to a rough 2-3 start, but the middle and end portions of their 2024 schedule soften a bit. I can see Tampa Bay winning six of its final 10 games to finish at either 9-8 again or 8-9. Either, could be enough for them to win the NFC South. The Buccaneers look like an undervalued team in NFL betting lines to me.
3. New Orleans Saints +375
New Orleans finished the 2023 campaign ranked an identical eighth in scoring (23.6 PPG) and points allowed (19.2 PPG). Veteran quarterback Derek Carr passed for 3,878 yards (13th) with 25 touchdowns (10th) and only eight interceptions (T-91).
On offense, New Orleans made a series of nice, if underrated, moves by adding veteran wide receivers Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Stanley Morgan and offensive tackle Olisaemeka Udoh. The Saints drafted Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the draft.
Defensively, the Saints made a big splash in free agency by adding defensive lineman Chase Young to improve its pass rush. New Orleans drafted Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in the second round, added veteran linebacker Willie Gay and brought back safeties Johnathan Abram and Ugo Amadi.
I’ve got New Orleans getting off to a 6-5 start before their Week 12 bye. After that, I can see the Saints finishing 3-3 over their final six games. Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see New Orleans win the NFC South in 2024 despite having the third-best odds to do so. Drop some cold hard cash on Derek Carr and company as the most value-packed team in the NFC South in 2024!
Bet On New Orleans Saints +375 Here!
4. Carolina Panthers +1100
Carolina was an absolute mess in 2023. The Panthers were tied for last place in scoring (13.9 PPG), finished 29th in points allowed (24.5 PPG) and fired head coach Frank Reich after the team went 1-10 through 11 games.
Heading into the 2024 campaign, the Panthers have their sights set on getting back to being a respectable team under new head coach Dave Canales, the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay last season.
To address an offensive line that allowed a league-high 62 sacks on rookie quarterback Bryce Young, Carolina signed veteran guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and tackle Yosh Nijman.
The Panthers added wide receiver Diontae Johnson in a trade with Pittsburgh, drafted wide South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette with the 32nd overall pick and selected Texas running back Jonathon Brooks with the 46th pick in the draft.
On defense, the Panthers brought in veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to replace the departed Brian Burns and added defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson. Carolina brought in linebackers Josey Jewell, DJ Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson. On the back end, the Panthers brought in veteran safeties Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott.
Despite all of their massive roster changes, I’m looking at a maximum of three wins for the Panthers against their BetUS win total odds in 2024 with only one potential victory coming over their final seven games. If anything, it’s a great online betting wager to pick the Panthers at -270 to finish fourth in the NFC South.
In the end, I’m going with New Orleans to finish first, followed by Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Carolina. The winner of this division could very well back into the playoffs with a losing record, like Tampa Bay did in 2022.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Questions of the Day
Who won the NFC South in 2023?
The Buccaneers won the division, although both Tampa Bay and New Orleans finished with 9-8 records.
