Ravens Open As Early Favorites to Win the AFC North

Baltimore has solid group of players back in the mix

Todd Karpovich | Feb 16, 2021

BALTIMORE — The Ravens are the ealry favorites to retake the top spot in the AFC North next season, according to the odds by BetOnline.

Baltimore is 5/4 to win the division after finishing in second place at 11-5 in 2020. The Ravens went 4-2 within the division with both losses to Pittsburgh. Baltimore beat the Tennessee Titans 20-13 in the AFC wild card game before losing to the Buffalo Bills 17-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Ravens have won the AFC North twice in the past three years.

The Steelers are the defending division champions after finishing 12-4, but were picked to finish third behind the Browns, who went 11-5 last season.

Cleveland went 3-3 in the AFC North with two wins over the Bengals and a victory over Pittsburgh, which went went 4-2 after also losing to the Bengals.

The Browns dominated the Steelers 48-37 in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Bengals are picked to finish last again. The Bengals went 4-11 last and 1-5 in the division last season.

The Ravens, Browns and Bengals are each building around young quarterbacks.

Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, 24, completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,098 pass yards (7.3 y.p.a.) with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran for a1,175 rush yards with eight scores and four fumbles lost .

Cleveland's Baker Mayfield, 25, overcame a slow start to the season and finsihed with 4,030 yards passing with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Cincinatti's Joe Burrow, 24, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He threw for 2,688 pass yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games before suffering a season-endingb knee injury.

Jackson, Mayfield and Burrow are Heisman Trophy winners.

The Steelers have some uncertainty at quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger, who will likely have to restructure his contract to remain with the team. Roethlisberger, 38, threw for 4,304 pass yards with 37 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

2021 AFC North Odds

Baltimore Ravens — 5/4

Cleveland Browns — 2/1

Pittsburgh Steelers — 13/5

Cincinnati Bengals — 18/1

Published Feb 16, 2021

TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University.