2020 NFL Win Total Plays - AFC North
The 2020 NFL season is still expected to start on time, which is September 10th. Let’s all hope that it plays out as expected. Let’s hope that it begins on time and that they are able to play out the entire season. The NFL Schedule was released a couple of months ago and so I have been going over the Win Totals for each team, by division. Today I will tackle the AFC North and below you can find the other win total previews I have done so far.
All Win Totals & Odds Are Courtesy Of Betonline.ag
Baltimore Ravens
Win Total - Over 11.5 (-115), Under 11.5 (-115)
The Baltimore Ravens finished with the best record in the league at 14-2 last year but a stunning 28-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round ended their season much quicker than many felt it would. Baltimore is what we call “a Mission Team” They are angry and they are just as good, if not better than a year ago. The offense was one of the best in the league last year and nothing has been done to hurt it. They still have Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, Willie Snead, and Marquise Brown, plus they added RB JK Dobbins in the draft. The Ravens shattered the NFL rushing mark last year and they will be the best in the league in that department this year. The defense was solid last year and could be a bit better with the addition of DT Justin Madubuike and LB Patrick Queen in the first 71 picks of the draft. The home slate includes games against Cleveland, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Dallas Jacksonville, and the Giants. KC and the Dallas game will be potholes, but the raven should at least split those games and run the table in their other home games. Can they go 5-3 on the road? The Ravens have games against Houston, Washington, Philly, Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and the Bengals. It will be tough, but I can see them winning at least five of those games. They may even win six of those games. This is the most complete team in the AFC and they will hang up at least 13 wins this year. Prediction: Baltimore Over 11.5 (-115).
Cincinnati Bengals
Win Total - Over 5.5 (-120), Under 5.5 (-110)
The Cincinnati Bengals had the worst record in the league and that allowed them to secure the top pick in the draft. Cincinnati used that pick on selecting QB Joe Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy and a National Title a year ago. Burrow will be a heck of an NFL QB but remember this, he will not have a full training camp to get ready for this season. He will play, I’m just expecting a lot of growing pains from him and that should stunt the offense some. The WR Corps has some talent with AJ Green, and 2nd round pick Tee Higgins while the ground game is in good hands with Joe Mixon. Still, they have no depth at RB and the offensive line is a mess, which should further stunt the growth of Burrow in his first year. Cincinnati’s next three picks were all on the defensive side of the ball and they should be improved over a unit that was 29th in yards allowed and 25th in points allowed. Watch out for D.J. Reader, who could be one of the better defensive linemen in the league. Now onto the schedule. The Bengals have the Chargers, Jaguars, Browns, Titans, Giants, Cowboys, Steelers, and Ravens on their home slate. Yikes. There are no slam dunks in those games, so I will call for just two wins in their home games. On the road, they face the Browns, Eagles, Ravens, Colts, Steelers, Redskins, Miami, and Houston. They have two rather easy ones against the Skins and Fish, but still, I will call for no more than one win on the road for Cincy. The Bengals had the worst record in the league last year and they could very well have the worst record this year. Prediction: Cincinnati Under 5.5 (-115).
Cleveland Browns
Win Total - Over 8.5 (-135), Under 8.5 (+105)
I like this Cleveland Browns team this year. They could have had a far better season last year had Freddie Kitchens not been roaming the sidelines. Cleveland went just 6-10 last year and they will look for far a far better showing this year under the guidance of Kevin Stefanski. Baker Mayfield is proving to be a very good NFL QB and he has some weapons to throw to this year. They include Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. The ground game will be strong with Nick Chubb, who had 1494 yards rushing last year while the offensive line has been upgraded with the addition of Jedrick Wills Jr., who was the 10th overall pick in the draft. Cleveland also added TE Austin Hooper from Atlanta. This will be an improved offense and so will the defense. The Browns used their next three picks in the draft on a player at every level of the defense and they still have Myles Garrett, who is one of the best defensive ends in the league. At home, the Browns must tackle the Bengals, Redskins, Colts, Raiders, Texans, Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers. That is not all that easy, but I still see the Browns squeezing out five wins from those games. On the road, they have Baltimore, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Tennessee, The Giants, and the Jets. They should be able to bag at least four wins from those games but I want a buffer here, so I will call for five wins on the road. This is a 10-6 team this year and they will be in the mix for a postseason berth. Prediction: Cleveland Over 8.5 (-135)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Win Total - Over 9.5 (+110), Under 9.5 (-145)
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a mediocre season a year ago as they finish at 8-8 and out of the postseason. Bigger things are expected for them this year as they have an O?U of 9.5 but I don’t feel that they will be able to hit that. Ben Roethlisberger is back to pilot the offense and he has a solid receiver corps in JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Chase Claypool, who they added in the draft. The ground game is solid with James Connor but there isn’t a ton of depth behind him and the offensive line is average at best. Pittsburgh had one of the worst offenses in the league last year and they are average at best this year. The defense was one of the best last year but they did lose DT Javon Hargrave and that could hurt the line. Pittsburgh did grab DE Alex Highsmith with their 2nd pick in the draft and he could help but still, I see the defense taking a step back this year, especially with very little depth. The home slate is not all that easy and we must remember that teams may not have that big of a home-field advantage this year as there will not be as many fans in the stands. Pittsburgh will face Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washington, and Indianapolis all at home this year. Tere are some tough games there and I am seeing five wins from that slate of games. On the road, they have toughies against Tennessee, Dallas, Baltimore, Buffalo, and Cleveland while the creampuffs include the Giants, Jaguars, and Bengals. There is no way they rattle off more than four wins on the road. I don’t even feel they will hit four wins away from home. This is an 8-8 team this year or at best a 9-7 squad. Prediction: Pittsburgh Under 9.5 (-145)
