The NFC South has been an NFL odds product of expansion and on teams located in the United States southeast. Previously, there were not enough markets to form an NFC division comprised of teams from the southeast. Previously, two NFC South members, the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, were members of the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an odd fit in the NFC Central. But with the Carolina Panthers joining the NFL as an expansion team in the 1990s, the NFL was finally able to create the NFC South in 2002.
NFC South Division Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | -120 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +300 |
| New Orleans Saints | +350 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1200 |
2024 NFC South Overview
In its offshore betting history, the NFC South has been the home of some mini dynasties. In the past three years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the NFC South title. The Buccaneers’ success ended a four-year run by the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans won the division from 2017 through 2020. Previously, the Falcons won the 2016 NFC South title, and the Carolina Panthers took it three straight seasons from 2013 through 2015.
At the onset of future market action for 2024, the Falcons were the surprise NFL betting odds choice to win the NFC South. Even though Atlanta took all kinds of abuse after the 2024 NFL Draft for taking Michael Penix Jr in the first round. Not only is Penix an injury-prone left-hander, but the Falcons had brought in Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings. That was just a few weeks before the draft. Thus, the entire production came off as confused and convoluted.
Also, the Falcons were laughed at for hiring Raheem Morris as head coach after having the opportunity to hire Bill Belichick. Morris has a career win percentage of .356 as an NFL head coach. General manager Terry Fontenot has been in that position since 2021 and is losing the confidence of fans and the NFL community. Yet the betting public is sold on this franchise, which rarely gets out of its way.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the surprise winners of the NFC South last year with castoff journeyman QB Baker Mayfield. In turn, Mayfield rejuvenated his career and signed a big new contract after the campaign. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles deserves credit for keeping an even keel. Despite a roller-coaster season that ended with a division title.
The New Orleans Saints continue to fall short under head coach Dennis Allen. Last year, Derek Carr arrived from the Las Vegas Raiders with great fanfare but inconsistent results.
The New Orleans Saints are the most successful team in the history of the NFC South. Accordingly, they were the last team in the division to claim the title for the first time. But they won four straight NFC South crowns from 2017 to 2020.
It’s been interesting to watch the NFC South over the years. There has been a lot of historical parity. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers only became the dominant team in the division in 2020. Tampa Bay hadn’t won an NFC South title in 13 years before that point. But the arrival of Tom Brady, coupled with the retirement of Drew Brees and Sean Payton, made the Buccaneers the elite team. Last year with Baker Mayfield, the Bucs were surprise winners for the third straight year.