2026 NFL futures odds: Only one division winner favored to repeat

Now that the Super Bowl is over and it’s seven long months until NFL action resumes, bettors are left with a couple of options. Some are taking a deep breath, perhaps calculating their profits and losses from the NFL season on a spreadsheet, celebrating or lamenting their luck from Super Bowl 60 wagers and perhaps preparing to turn their attention to another sport for the time being.

Others are already exploring what NFL bets for next season they can make now. For this camp, DraftKings Sportsbook already has posted live 2026 NFL future odds for all potential division winners. This option not only provides a needed alternative to Super Bowl futures wagers, which historically are about the only such NFL future offered this time of year, but this market has proven to be a gold mine for NFL handicappers and bettors who have a talent for accurately pegging the projections of teams in the parity-heavy NFL.

This past season serves as a prime example of the volatility in the NFL divisional winner futures market. The Philadelphia Eagles (-160) were the only favorite in the eight division races to reward their supporters as they repeated as NFC East champions with an 11-6 record. The seven others featured underdog winners, including two worst-to-first turnarounds. Those milestones were achieved by the New England Patriots (+550), who went from 4-13 to 13-4 on their way to a Super Bowl 60 appearance, where they were drubbed 29-13 by the Seattle Seahawks, and the Chicago Bears (+600), who conquered the talent-rich NFC North at 11-6 in their first season under Ben Johnson and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

It stands to reason that this upcoming season will likely feature at least one similar turnaround, and now is the best time to scalp potential value despite the uncertainty surrounding the NFL Draft and free agency that concerns all 32 clubs.

However, even if you lean toward playing chalk, the good news is that zero teams come with a hefty price tag. The Eagles (-110) are the only repeat favorites, while the Ravens (-110) and Bills (-115) carry discount price tags to win their respective divisions.

The following are the current DraftKings odds for every 2026 NFL division winner: 

Place NFL futures bets at DraftKings and get bonus bets:

AFC East 2026 divisional odds

AFC North 2026 divisional odds

AFC South 2026 divisional odds

AFC West 2026 divisional odds

NFC East 2026 divisional odds

NFC North 2026 divisional odds

NFC South 2026 divisional odds

NFC West 2026 divisional odds

Initial sleeper/value leans:

Here are our initial value/sleeper picks for each NFL division:

AFC East, Patriots (+115): Of course, it’s an inherent contradiction to call a Super Bowl participant a “sleeper,” but we can put the Patriots in the value category. This is one division in which we can safely rule out the massive underdogs and, though it could be a mistake to disrespect Josh Allen and the Bills, we weren’t wild about their head-coaching hire in Joe Brady and the embarrassing public fallout amid the firing of former coach Sean McDermott that suggested organizational dysfunction. We’ll take the plus-money price on the more stable team that appeared to be at least one year ahead of schedule with its memorable run to the Super Bowl. 

AFC North, Bengals (+210): For better or worse, Zac Taylor is the lone returning AFC North coach. Quarterback Joe Burrow’s late-season return from injury showed that the Cincinnati offense still has immense upside. If the franchise can make the necessary moves to field a simply serviceable defense, the opportunity is there for the Bengals to take advantage of a division that is otherwise filled with transitional franchises. 

AFC South, Jaguars (+180): In their first year under coach Liam Cohen, the Jags were among the biggest surprises amid their 13-4 finish and playoff appearance. We understand that the elite defensive profile of the Texans, who finished the regular season with nice consecutive wins, is why they are the slight chalk. But as their playoff struggles illustrated, they could be facing a dilemma at quarterback while Trevor Lawrence and friends are likely to take another step forward. 

AFC West, Chiefs (+170): Last year, the Chiefs experienced regression with their record in close games and saw their season lost amid an injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. While this is far from a confident bounce-back spot for a club that has some areas to address, we still like the principle value of backing Mahomes and coach Andy Reid to return to prominence in the tight division, and the price overlay is a lot more enticing than the -250 or so tag that came with them for the past several seasons. 

NFC East, Giants (+700): The Giants appear to have the most promising profile to follow in the footsteps of the Patriots and Bears for a worst-to-first turnaround. They immediately nabbed the best coach in the division as winners of the John Harbaugh sweepstakes and, with a franchise quarterback in place, a strong defensive line and last-place schedule to feast upon, the needed elements are present. Moreover, the Eagles are shrouded in instability amid a new, unproven offensive coordinator and the uncertain futures of stars such as mercurial wideout A.J. Brown.

NFC North, Bears (+350): The Bears appeared to be just hitting their offensive peak as the playoffs approached, and another step forward could make this club as potent as the one Johnson led while he was with the Lions. Their leaky defense is a major concern, but we’ve often seen one or two personnel changes or an adjustment in scheme make a huge difference for a specific unit. We expect the Lions, who swept the Bears last year, to return to relevance, but the price is nice for backing Chicago to continue its upward trajectory. 

NFC South, Falcons (+400): This club underachieved relative to its talent level the past two seasons and new coach Kevin Stefanski, who led the Browns to the playoffs in his first year with the franchise, could be poised to exploit the NFL’s most vulnerable division. The recent legal troubles of breakout rookie defensive end James Pearce Jr. (he’s currently facing five felony charges) is a massive concern for a defense that made major strides last season. Even so, this team should have enough talent to threaten for the NFC South title. 

NFC West, Seahawks (+160): With all due respect to the possibility of the proverbial Super Bowl hangover, it still stands to reason that the this division will likely come down to a Week 17 or 18 showdown for the Seahawks against the Rams or 49ers. This club has proven to answer the call in such spots under coaching wunderkind Mike Macdonald and, as such, we’re tipping our proverbial hats by not fading the Super Bowl champions in their quest to repeat. 

Sign up with DraftKings and start earning bonus bets today: