The Buffalo Bills saw their run of five consecutive AFC East titles snapped last season by the upstart New England Patriots, who went on to reach Super Bowl 60.
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, the AFC East appears to be a two-horse race between those teams once again.
Can Drake Maye and the Patriots retain the division crown despite a tougher schedule? Or will Josh Allen and the Bills regain their spot at the summit?
Let’s dig into the latest AFC East winner odds and make some division champion predictions.
AFC East Winner Odds 2026
These AFC East betting odds are current as of Tuesday, July 28, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Be careful, as many NFL odds may shift as we get closer to the 2026 season.
- Buffalo Bills (-136)
- New England Patriots (+125)
- New York Jets (+1900)
- Miami Dolphins (+4000)
Keep track of pro football futures this offseason with our NFL futures odds comparison tool:
AFC East Standings 2025
Before we dig into my AFC East predictions, here’s how the division played out last season:
- New England Patriots 14-3
- Buffalo Bills 12-5
- Miami Dolphins 7-10
- New York Jets 3-14
AFC East Winner Best Bet
Buffalo Bills (-136)
After finishing second in the AFC East for the first time since 2019, I’m backing the Bills to regain the division crown.
There have been some significant offseason changes in Buffalo, with offensive coordinator Joe Brady replacing head coach Sean McDermott after a nine-season tenure. The Bills also have a new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, a highly sought-after defensive mind who spent the last two seasons on the Denver Broncos’ staff.
Buffalo still has one of the top quarterbacks in football, Josh Allen, who should benefit from the offseason trade that brought in wide receiver DJ Moore from Chicago. The free-agent addition of pass-rusher Bradley Chubb should also give this defense a bit more juice up front.
At -136 odds, I’m backing the Bills to win their sixth AFC East title in the past seven years as my NFL pick of the day.
AFC East Winner Sleeper Pick
New England Patriots (+125)
The Patriots aren’t a true sleeper pick to win the AFC East, but I don’t see any scenario where the Geno Smith-led Jets or Malik Willis-led Dolphins find their way to the top of the division. For context, Miami hasn’t won the AFC East since 2008, and New York’s division title drought dates back to 2002.
With that in mind, New England is the only other realistic option. The Patriots arrived ahead of schedule last season, going 14-3 thanks to the stellar play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
That said, New England also benefitted from one of the easiest schedules in the league, and it continued to catch break after break in the postseason, playing an AFC Championship Game against Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
Making the Super Bowl will put a target on the back of this Pats squad, which will face many more challenges this season. However, New England’s offseason additions of wide receivers AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs should help Maye continue his development and keep this team among the top in the AFC.
AFC East Champions By Year
| Year | AFC East Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | New England Patriots | 14-2 |
| 2017 | New England Patriots | 13-3 |
| 2018 | New England Patriots | 11-5 |
| 2019 | New England Patriots | 12-4 |
| 2020 | Buffalo Bills | 13-3 |
| 2021 | Buffalo Bills | 11-6 |
| 2022 | Buffalo Bills | 13-3 |
| 2023 | Buffalo Bills | 11-6 |
| 2024 | Buffalo Bills | 13-4 |
| 2025 | New England Patriots | 14-3 |
