The 2020 National Football League season is here. Seven months after the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV, we are about to go from zero to 100 in a hurry with no preseason action before Week 1. The lack of exhibition games means a lot less to work with for our 2020 forecasts. At The TSN Edge, we decided to take a closer look at the sports betting information available for all 32 teams in order to get a better idea of what those numbers indicate we can expect for this upcoming season. Here is the latest instalment of our division preview series, focusing on the AFC East. 

BUFFALO BILLS

AFC East Champion Odds: +125

Team Win Total: 8.5 Wins 

25 years. That’s how long it’s been since Buffalo last celebrated an AFC East title with a 10-6 record back in 1995. Ask any Bills fan and they’ll be sure to share their pain with you. I’ve certainly heard my fair share about it. Buffalo’s outlook is much different heading into 2020. Coming off a 10-6 season, the Bills are the favourite to win the AFC East, listed at slightly better odds than the New England Patriots. Josh Allen took another step forward in his second NFL season with 3,089 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019, adding 510 rushing yards and scrambling for nine scores. General Manager Brandon Beane made a splash this off-season by acquiring a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. He also drafted running back Zack Moss in the third round to push last year’s third round pick Devin Singletary for touches. Since drafting Allen 7th overall in 2018, Beane has completely overhauled Buffalo’s offensive line, wide receiver and running back cores. Now the pressure is on Allen to take another step forward in his third pro season. He’s currently listed at +5000 odds to win MVP – the same number as Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Meanwhile, star cornerback Tre’Davious White signed a massive four-year extension this offseason and returns to lead a Bills defense that ranked in the top-five in DVOA in each of the last two seasons. Buffalo ranked second in total points allowed and third in yards allowed last season. While Bills fans are banking on offensive improvements, the defense remains the strength of this team. For the first time since 2008, the AFC East appears to be up for grabs. There is no doubt that Buffalo is a better team on paper than they were a year ago. Time will tell if it’s enough to leapfrog the Patriots and secure their first division title in 25 years.  

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

AFC East Champion Odds: +130

Team Win Total: 9.5 Wins 

Well, well, what do we have here? The once invincible Patriots are suddenly the second choice to win the AFC East heading into the 2020 season. For those of you who know me (I’m talking about you dad), you know that growing up as an Indianapolis Colts fan this team broke my heart more than a few times. Personally, I’d be more than happy to see things take a turn for the worse for Bill Belichick and company. I’m sure a lot of you would share that sentiment. But I digress. On the heels of 17 consecutive double-digit win seasons, New England’s win total has been set at 9.5. Tom Brady and his six Super Bowl rings are gone. The search for his successor led the Patriots to 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton. In addition to the quarterback change, New England was hit by a league-high eight opt-outs due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Keep in mind those opt-outs were after they lost Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, Danny Shelton, Duron Harmon and Elandon Roberts in free agency. Star linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung are the team’s most notable opt-outs. Those losses will make it difficult for a defense that had already regressed over the second half of the 2019 season to avoid further regression in 2020. It’s important to remember that when considering what Newton will need to do just to help the Patriots contend for a playoff spot. After missing most of last season due to injury, Newton signed a one-year deal with New England for the chance to prove that he can still perform at an elite level. However, the deck has certainly been somewhat stacked against the 31-year-old, who will step on the field in Week 1 with a new team, new playbook and no exhibition reps under his belt. Newton is currently +550 to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year – the second choice on the board behind Roethlisberger. Meanwhile, Belichick is currently the favourite to win NFL Coach of the Year at +1000. After winning 17 of the last 19 AFC East titles, Newton and Belichick will both need to deliver performances worthy of those accolades in order for this team to contend for another division title. The Newton-led Patriots remain one of the biggest wild cards heading into the 2020 season.

NEW YORK JETS

AFC East Champion Odds: +800

Team Win Total: 6.5 Wins 

I was somewhat surprised when I saw the Jets’ season win total set at 6.5. Last year, New York went 1-7 over the first half of the year before rallying with a 6-2 record the rest of the way to finish 7-9. On the bright side, the Jets went 7-6 in games that Sam Darnold played. Darnold has two years of NFL experience under his belt and he’s still younger than this year’s first-overall pick Joe Burrow. The problem is that the organization hasn’t done nearly enough to surround their franchise quarterback with the weapons that he needs to succeed. Wide receiver Robby Anderson, who ranked second on the team with 779 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season, left in free agency. Free agent addition Breshad Perriman and rookie second round pick Denzel Mims both missed significant training camp time due to injuries and have zero combined game snaps with Darnold. Running back Frank Gore, who was brought in to spell Le’Veon Bell, is 37-years-old. Meanwhile, the Jets landed an impressive return from the Seattle Seahawks when they traded safety Jamal Adams, but that trade doesn’t make them a better team on paper right now. A schedule that features opponents from the AFC and NFC West also won’t help. In addition to their AFC East matchups, New York will have to play the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and a number of potential playoff contenders in the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. They also get a pair of improved teams that also finished third in their respective divisions last year in the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns. To me, the Jets look like a team that could be destined for double-digit losses in 2020. I don’t think they have what it takes to get to seven wins.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

AFC East Champion Odds: +800

Team Win Total: 6 Wins 

Is it crazy to think that Miami to win the AFC East at +800 is really good value? The “fish tank” didn’t end up being nearly as bad as it looked like it could be after the Dolphins opened their season with seven straight losses. Miami went 5-4 the rest of the way, picking up wins over the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Patriots to finish 5-11. Fortunately, the Dolphins still managed to land Tua Tagovaliaoa with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, it’s some of their other offseason moves that make me think this team could be better than expected in 2020. Miami spent more money on free agents this offseason than any other team in NFL history has spent on free agents in one offseason. That was in addition to their impressive draft haul, which included three first round picks and six picks in the top-70 overall. Cornerback Byron Jones, defensive end Shaw Lawson and linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts provide immediate upgrades on defense. General Manager Chris Grier also invested heavily in upgrades to the offensive line in both free agency and the draft as well, including 18th overall pick tackle Austin Jackson. Those moves should bolster the pass protection for veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, while helping to create more holes for running backs Jordan Howard and Matt Breida, who were both acquired this offseason. While they might not be the favourite to win the AFC East, Miami has improved enough that it isn’t inconceivable that they could surprise in this division in 2020. Call me crazy, but crazier things have happened before.

*All sports betting information appears as listed by Bet MGM at 11:00 AM ET on Wednesday September 9th, 2020.