The NFC South has been the weakest division in the NFL for several years, but it always seems to find a way to provide plenty of drama.
Last season, the Carolina Panthers won the division via tiebreaker, needing help from the rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 18 to secure their spot in the playoffs.
This season figures to be a similar crapshoot, as all four teams have odds of +425 or better to win the division.
Let’s dive into the latest NFC South winner odds and make a division champion prediction for the upcoming campaign.
NFC South Winner Odds 2026
These NFC South betting odds are current as of Thursday, July 30, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Be careful, as many NFL odds may shift as we get closer to the 2026 NFL season.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+164)
- New Orleans Saints (+265)
- Carolina Panthers (+310)
- Atlanta Falcons (+425)
Keep track of pro football futures this offseason with our NFL futures odds comparison tool:
NFC South Standings 2025
Before we dig into my NFC South predictions, here’s how the division played out last season:
- Carolina Panthers 8-9
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-9
- Atlanta Falcons 8-9
- New Orleans Saints 6-11
NFC South Winner Best Bet
New Orleans Saints (+265)
The Saints finished fourth in the NFC South last season, but they showed plenty of promise down the stretch, winning four of their final five games to end the campaign. That’s significant for a team that had a first-year head coach in Kellen Moore and a rookie quarterback in Tyler Shough, who took over the starting job in Week 9.
Shough is set up to take a significant leap forward in his sophomore season, as former Jaguar Travis Etienne Jr. joins the backfield alongside Alvin Kamara. New Orleans also added to its wide receiver room, drafting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson in the first round and North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance in the fourth round.
On the other side of the ball, the Saints ranked ninth in the NFL in yards allowed (299.8 per game) last season and surrendered 22.5 points per contest. The offseason departure of veteran linebacker Demario Davis is a significant loss, but Cameron Jordan’s decision to return for a 16th season should help on the leadership front.
The Saints will also benefit from having the third-easiest schedule in the league this season, so I’m backing them to go from worst to first as my NFL pick of the day.
NFC South Winner Sleeper Pick
Atlanta Falcons (+425)
Since anything can happen in the NFC South, I’d consider betting on the Falcons to win the division at +425 odds.
Atlanta’s offense is loaded with weapons. Bijan Robinson is coming off a career year where he amassed more than 2,200 total yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. both amassed more than 900 receiving yards last season, with the former doing so in just 12 games.
The biggest question for the Falcons heading into this season is at quarterback. Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL, and free-agent acquisition Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with a back problem and has a lengthy injury history of his own.
If either of those guys can stay healthy, I trust new head coach Kevin Stefanski to put them in positions to succeed.
NFC South Winner By Year
| Year | NFC South Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Atlanta Falcons | 11-5 |
| 2017 | New Orleans Saints | 11-5 |
| 2018 | New Orleans Saints | 13-3 |
| 2019 | New Orleans Saints | 13-3 |
| 2020 | New Orleans Saints | 12-4 |
| 2021 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13-4 |
| 2022 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
| 2023 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9-8 |
| 2024 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10-7 |
| 2025 | Carolina Panthers | 8-9 |
