AFC East Division Exact Finishing Order in 2017
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
In addition to betting on which team will be the outright winner of a division in the NFL, you can also bet on where a team will finish in the standings other than in the top spot. We turn our attention to the AFC East Division and what will happen in the 2017 regular season. And even those who haven't been paying much attention will attest that this is a division dominated by the New England Patriots. Since 2003, only one second-place finish has spoiled a long run of division winning seasons.
That would be more of a concern if we were merely picking a team to win the AFC East in 2017, but that's not what this bet is about. In this wager, you are given a list of choices with scenarios—where a team will finish in the division standings. You can either pick that a team will finish in that exact spot or you can bet on "any other result." As you can see by quickly glancing at the odds here, there is some decent value on both fronts.
With the AFC East, the expectations are that the New England Patriots will repeat as division champions. You can either try to buck that perception or assume the Pats will again be tops in the AFC East and then just work downward from there. Miami was considered the obvious second-place choice, though a season-ending injury to Ryan Tannehill has perhaps loosened their apparent grip on being the heavily-favored runners-up in the division. In other words, there are some different ways to approach this, with possible heavy payouts for those willing to adopt an alternative viewpoint.
Let's break down all the different propositions being offered for exact finishing positions in the AFC East. We will give you the bet and the odds, followed by our brief commentary on how worthy it is to bet. Let's get rolling!
BET ON THE EXACT FINISHING ORDER OF THE AFC EAST AT THE WEB'S BEST SPORTSBOOK: 5DIMES
Miami finishes 2nd in AFC East -105
Any other result -135
Our Take: The loss of Tannehill throws a different light on this bet. Jay Cutler is capable, but his form leading up to his retirement hadn't been stellar. Their top two backs in training camp, Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake, have suffered concussions. So it's been a costly camp for the 'Fins. Be that as it may, the Pats being apparent shoo-ins and the Jets and Bills being weak makes second place at -105 a pretty decent value play.
Miami finishes 3rd in AFC East +155
Any other result -195
Our Take: With this bet, a less-rosy outlook is applied to the 2017 Dolphins, with a third-place finish. It's not entirely implausible that either the Jets or Bills will outdo the Dolphins this season, especially if things don't click or if injuries continue to stockpile. Still, we see "any other result" other than third place at -195 being the better play.
Miami finishes 4th in AFC East +650
Any other result -1350
Our Take: Miami really showed last season that they are on the right track with Adam Gase as their new head coach. Taking their upward trajectory of last season into account, a scenario where they tumble to last place behind both the Bills and Jets is not easy to imagine, which is why the odds are a robust +650 on this selection. Still, teams can be snake-bitten and see injuries and suspensions upend their whole season. And if that kind of bad luck continues, it's not an entirely-ridiculous bet to make.
New England finishes 2nd in AFC East +620
Any other result -1260
Our Take: In the last 14 seasons, they have only failed to win the division once. Therefore, a +620 price on them not only not winning the division, but finishing precisely second in the division doesn't seem to offer exceptional value. Then again, for those looking to be ahead of the curve based on a possible Super Bowl hangover or Tom Brady's age could be justified on some levels in making such a bet.
New England finishes 3rd in AFC East +2300
Any other result -6900
Our Take: Any of these New England bets where you're picking the Pats to slip this season can be justified on some level. At +2300, the odds are riveting, but envisioning a scenario where two AFC East teams outperform the Pats is not easy at all.
New England finishes 4th in AFC East +6000
Any other result -24000
Our Take: We come to the most extreme bet on the board—that the Pats will somehow finish last, which would require an almost-historic string of unfortunate events to the team. And even at +6000, which looks great on paper, it seems like there are better ways to win at 60-to-1 than this. Pick a longshot horse. Try to win 6 straight hands of blackjack. But this? It's really hard to justify.
NY Jets finish 2nd in AFC East +775
Any other result -1625
Our Take: On one hand, the Jets did win 10 games in 2015, before falling to last place in 2016. And for whatever it's worth, since 2004, the Jets have occupied the second position in the standings on seven separate occasions. Last place this season seems like a likely outcome for a Jets team that has issues-galore, especially on offense. But with Miami having a rough camp and a Bills team that isn't particularly scary, +775 isn't a bad price on this.
NY Jets finish 3rd in AFC East +320
Any other result -460
Our Take: Again, the Jets are being shoehorned into last place by most respected observers. It takes some moxie to differ with that opinion, but it's not a pipe-dream, either. Again, Miami is having a rough time and Buffalo fails to elicit fear, making a third-place finish at +320 a decent play for those willing to take a leap-of-faith on a Jets team that frankly has all the earmarks of a last-place team.
NY Jets finish 4th in AFC East -310
Any other result +230
Our Take: Other than the instability with the Dolphins and Bills, this seems like the most-likely outcome for the Jets. Their offense at full-health doesn't even look that good, but a barren receiving crew lost their only viable weapon from last season with Quincy Enunwa going down for the season. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Even with a somewhat chalky -310 line, this is a bet that can be substantiated on a lot of different levels.
