The 2026 NFL regular season is officially here, and if you haven't locked in any futures bets, it's about time you did. There were plenty of surprises last year when it came to division winners. Who saw Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers beating out the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North?
Or Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers stealing the NFC South with a losing record? The Chicago Bears also won the NFC North for the first time since 2018, thanks to an opportunistic defense and some magic from Caleb Williams. Which teams should you bet on to win their divisions this year?
We assembled our panel of CBS Sports experts and asked them for their best bets in each NFL division. The panel includes Jordan Dajani, Pete Prisco, Jared Dubin, Tyler Sullivan, Garrett Podell, John Breech, Ryan Wilson, Bryan DeArdo and Josh Edwards. Let's take a look at what our crew thought.
Dajani: "The New England Patriots won this division last year thanks to the easiest NFL schedule since 1999. Now, Mike Vrabel and Co. have a top six toughest schedule. The Buffalo Bills will take their spot atop the AFC East once again with help from offseason addition D.J.
Moore." Prisco: "They will give this team back to Josh Allen. The aggression will be back." Dubin: "I know the Patriots won this division last year and are plus money to win it again, but the Bills won it in each of the previous five seasons and have averaged just over 12 wins per year since 2020. I feel good about them taking the AFC East back." Breech: "The Patriots had a fun one-year run at the top of the division, but the Bills will be out for blood this year." Wilson: "Buffalo gave Allen his first legit WR1 since Stefon Diggs, and if Jim Leonhard's defense is even marginally better, that means Allen doesn't have to put the team on his shoulders come January." DeArdo: "This one was pretty easy; Mike Vrabel himself said recently that the Patriots' depth isn't very good.
The Bills are hoping a division title can spearhead their first Super Bowl run in 33 years." Sullivan: "Too much is being made about the whiplash New England is expected to see, going from one of the softest schedules in recent memory in 2025 to a far more difficult one in 2026. Will the road be treacherous? At the same time, this version of the Patriots, on paper, is better than the one that went to the Super Bowl.
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