Following a disappointing season that led to head coach John Harbaugh being allowed to seek other opportunities, the Baltimore Ravens look to recapture the AFC North Division under new head coach Jesse Minter.
According to NFL prediction markets, the Ravens are the most popular option to win the division, but they’ll likely face stiff competition from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns could also cause a stir within the AFC North, but only if the team is able to successfully resolve its quarterback issues.
On paper, the Baltimore Ravens have the best roster in the AFC North. Led by two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who is still in his 20s, the Ravens’ main question is whether rookie head coach Jesse Minter is capable of getting the most out of his team.
That shouldn’t be much of an issue, given Minter’s pedigree of working alongside head coach Jim Harbaugh during his past stints at the University of Michigan and with the Los Angeles Chargers.
While the Ravens’ per-contract price of 44¢ seems a bit high, there’s no guarantee that Joe Burrow and the Bengals will play out of their slump to give Baltimore a run for its money. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the reigning AFC North champions but will not have Mike Tomlin on the sidelines for the first time in two decades.
The Cincinnati Bengals started last year’s regular season with a record of 2-0. Then, it all fell apart. They lost 8 of their next 9 games and were out of the postseason conversation by December.
However, the Bengals have one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the league, Zac Taylor, at a time when all their AFC North rivals are testing out new head coaches. If the Bengals are going to have a shot at securing a home game in the playoffs, they’ll need more cohesion on both sides of the ball.
Kalshi traders have Cincinnati listed at 34¢ per contract to win the AFC North this year. The division title market is nearing $500,000 and could blow past $1 million by the time the 2026-27 NFL regular season begins.
We really don’t think Pittsburgh has a 20% chance to win the AFC North Division title. New head coach Mike McCarthy should have had better results in Dallas, and veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is just filling in more time before he is eventually enshrined into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Look for the Steelers to have a losing regular season record this year without Mike Tomlin’s leadership and stability. Pittsburgh might be trading at 19¢ per contract, but that’s not a realistic price, in our view.
As for the Cleveland Browns, they’ll still be in the cellar of the AFC North Division unless Shedeur Sanders is able to have a breakout season. As of right now, it remains unknown if Sanders will even be starting for Cleveland in its regular season opener against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.
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