Odds to Win NFL AFC Conference Free Picks and Predictions 6/26/19
We are five weeks and one day away from the NFL Hall of Fame Game between Denver and Atlanta who kick off from Canton Ohio on Thursday August 1st. Lets look at the odds to win the AFC Conference.
New England favored at +400 odds with KC Chiefs at +500 odds. Browns and Chargers sit tied for third at +700 odds followed by Indianapolis Colts at +800 odds.
Notables include Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texas at +1200 odds. Longest shots on the board are the Bengals at +5000 odds and Miami Dolphins at +6600 odds.
With my AFC pick I will take are the Pittsburgh Steelers at +1200 odds. Offensively the team did produce 403 yards per game and were good on third down converting 44%. Ben Roethlisberger a 16 year veteran who was fairly healthy last year starting all 16 games. He threw for a career high 5129 yards and 34 touchdown passes are also a career high.
Antonio Brown is now a Raider. Juju Smith Schuster will be the main target but we may see the ball spread out to the Steelers receiving crew. That will help the Steelers in their road games as may open up more intermediate throws. I always felt the Steelers went for the big play a bit too much on the road which is risky. Opponents crown noise makes it hard to hear the count so the line does not protect as well and the receivers are a bit slower off the line of scrimmage. With no Brown no more Roethlisberger sitting longer in the pocket.
Steelers could have more rhythm in their offense. There is still talent at wide receiver with Donte Moncrief and James Washington. Diontae Johnson a receiver out of Toledo was drafted in the third round. Pittsburgh has done good drafting wide outs. I like their running back they took in the fourth round in Benny Snell Jr. and workhorse who ran for Kentucky. He averaged over 5 yards a carry in every college football season. Remember he faced SEC defenses. He can complement James Connor who shined last year with Pittsburgh in the backfield. Their first round pick was linebacker Devin Bush out of Michigan. Corner Justin Layne out of Michigan St was taken in the third round.
Pittsburgh was sixth in the league in yards allowed defensively. Their division opponents Cincinnati and Baltimore I am not high on. Will Cleveland play up to expectations? Browns were 30th last year in yards allowed struggling in pass defense. Pittsburgh will get better and better throughout the season and if they make the playoffs will be a tough out.
A longshot pick will be Tennessee Titans at +2800 odds. Titans were the eighth ranked defense in the league allowing 333 yards per game. Team gave up only 18.9 points per game. They had won six of their past eight games heading into Week 17 as they faced the Indianapolis Colts at home for a shot at the playoffs. They did lose 33-17 as they were forced to start Blaine Gabbert at quarterback as Marcus Mariota was injured an unable to play.
Mariota last season did complete 68.9% of his passes in 2018 highest in his career and threw only six picks in his final 13 games. Number two draft pick A.J. Brown out of Ole Miss will give help to Mariota. It is a very young receiving corps. If Mariota has issues with health the team did upgrade their backup with Ryan Tannehill the former Miami Dolphin starter. The offensive line is also better which should help keep Mariota on the field. They had great line play in 2016 but digressed the past two seasons.
They tweaked the line in offseason and improved it. Titans get good work from their offensive tackles it’s guard play they want better work from. 2018 starting guard Kevin Pamphile played in only three games due to injury. Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis will work at running back. Tight end Delanie Walker returns after missing much of last season with injury in Week 1. He has won three pro bowls.
Team finished 8-8 last season then 9-7 the previous three season after that.