Even after a disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the 7-4 Baltimore Ravens own first place in the AFC North thanks to a tie-breaker over the Cincinnati Bengals, who they beat in Week 5. BetMGM gives Baltimore the best odds to win the division at -250.
But the Bengals are on a three-game winning streak after beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and that win might’ve been the most impressive of the season between the two division rivals considering Cincinnati was without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase and running back Joe Mixon.
Though Cincinnati’s remaining cast of offensive weapons might have still been better than what Lamar Jackson and the Ravens had to work with, you can only expect Cincinnati to get better with health. You can’t say the same for Baltimore.
Yet, despite similar records, the Bengals remain relative long-shots to win the AFC North at +210 odds. The reason is because of a tough remaining schedule that includes the Chiefs and Bills.
But if the Ravens continue to struggle against teams like the Jaguars — their best win during a recent four-game streak was over the 5-6 Bucs — Cincinnati’s remaining schedule won’t matter. The AFC North could very well come down to the final week of the season when the Ravens and Bengals play again, in Cincinnati. And right now, I would pick the home team to win that game.
Who comes next in the NFC East?
Speaking of tight division races, the NFC East should also have a fun finish. But it’s the Wild Card standings we’ll be paying attention to.
While the Eagles (10-1) haven’t exactly locked up the top spot, they’re very clearly the favorite to finish No. 1. That leaves the Dallas Cowboys (8-3), New York Giants (7-4) and Washington Commanders (7-5) as the top-three Wild Card teams after Week 12, and that order is no sure bet.
Dallas established its dominance over New York on Thanksgiving, but now Washington is creeping up the standings and still has two games remaining against the Giants, who have lost three of their last four. Which team is better?
It’s a tough call, but now might be the time to put money on it. BetMGM has the exact same +190 odds on the Giants and Commanders to finish third in the division. Interestingly, the Cowboys have the best odds to finish last.
Was Mike White the Jets' missing piece?
At 6-4, the New York Jets were at a crossroads in their season. They could continue starting Zach Wilson, who was appearing to lose the locker room with his poor play and lack of accountability, and potentially let a promising season slip away, or they could give the ball to another quarterback and see what happens.
They did the latter, letting Mike White have another try in the offense, and boy did the former fifth-round pick deliver. He threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns on 78% passing in a 31-10 win, more points than the team had in the previous two weeks combined.
It was a truly great performance, but it also came against the Chicago Bears. So I would caution against expecting the Jets to be some offensive juggernaut the rest of the season.
It’s not the first time White has thrown for three touchdowns. He did it in a stunning 34-31 win over the Bengals last season. He also threw zero touchdowns and four interceptions two weeks later against the Bills. The Jets play the Vikings next, and that game is likely to be a better gauge of what to expect of White (and the team) going forward.
