At the onset of future market action for 2024, the Falcons were the surprise 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 have also brought in Kirk Cousins from the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins arrived just a few weeks before the draft. Thus, the entire NFL odds production came off as confused and convoluted. The concerns about the Falcons were justified.
NFC South Division Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +100 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +240 |
| Carolina Panthers | +400 |
| New Orleans Saints | +1000 |
Additionally, the Falcons were ridiculed for hiring Raheem Morris as their head coach. Following the opportunity to hire Bill Belichick. Morris has a poor online betting resume as an NFL head coach. Additionally, general manager Terry Fontenot has been in that position since 2021 and is losing the confidence of fans and the NFL community. Yet some of the betting public remains sold on this franchise, which rarely gets out of its way.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the surprise winners of the NFC South. This time with castoff journeyman quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield rejuvenated his NFL betting odds career and signed a big new contract after the 2023 campaign. Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles deserves credit. To illustrate, he maintained an even keel through a rollercoaster season that ended with a division title.
The New Orleans Saints continued to fall short under head coach Dennis Allen, who ultimately paid the price with his job. Indeed, the QB Derek Carr experiment was an abysmally failed endeavor.
Throughout its history, the South has been home to several mini dynasties. In the past four years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken the NFC South title. The Buccaneers’ success ended a four-year run by the New Orleans Saints, who won the division from 2017 through 2020. Previously, before the Falcons won the 2016 NFC South title, the Carolina Panthers had held the title for three straight seasons from 2013 through 2015.
The NFC South has been a product of expansion and the NFL’s ability to form a division based on teams located in the southeastern United States. Previously, there were not enough markets to form an NFC division comprised of teams from that part of the country.
Two South members, the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, were previously 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.
The New Orleans Saints are the most successful team in the history of the NFC South. 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 considerable historical parity. Late on, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the dominant team in the division in 2020. Tampa Bay hadn’t won an NFC South title 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.