Who Will Lead the AFC North?

Getting swallowed up in much of the quarterback drama going on around the NFL right now, is the fact that there is no clear-cut favorite to what team will be the leaders of the AFC North.

Sure, their is a leader in the odds over at Bovada, but that lead is nothing to write home about, as the moneylines to bet on who will win the AFC North are all in the positive range.  The team with the best odds is the Cincinnati Bengals with a +180 moneyline.

The Bengals have been looking great throughout the post season, which is likely why they currently hold the top spot in the odds.  While, QB Andy Dalton has been hit or miss, other offensive positions on the field are filled with talent.  The wide receiver position, for example, is an extremely talented bunch with  A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones.  Even with Andrew Hawkins injured, there is still plenty of good receivers waiting in the wings to step up and fill his spot.

Then we have Giovani Bernard, who may end up on the starting roster before Week 1 of the regular season.  The rookie has been explosive all preseason.  He gets through impossible holes and makes some of the sharpest cuts in all the NFL.  Bernard even has caught some passes, showing he is an extremely versatile running back.  Instead of taking my word for it, the numbers have Bernard with  23 rushes for 104 yards, averaging 4.5 yards-per-carry,  two touchdowns and six passes caught for a total of 55 yards just in the three games he has played in during the preseason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are behind the Bengals with the second best overall odds with a money line at +210.  It is strange that the Steelers are so far up in the odds considering all the problems the preseason has exposed.  Scoring TDs is still a problem for this team as when they get in the red zone it is the norm for them to settle for three.  Also, the offensive line still seems to be in shambles and their special teams has allowed a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and a 109-yard kick return for a touchdown.  The only bright spot has been their defense and a handful of big plays orchestrated by QB Ben Roethlisberger.

The defending Super Bowl Champions, the Baltimore Ravens, have a moneyline of +225 to take the AFC North Division.  The Ravens have a ton of question marks around their team considering the major changes that occurred on both defense and offense during the offseason.  It has been hard to grasp how they are going to play during the regular season, as they have been doing a lot of experimenting with rookie receivers and backs during their preseason games.

The Cleveland Browns finish out the list with a moneyline at +500.