With most of the top free agents finding new teams or re-signing with their former ones, the rosters are more or less set for the upcoming NFL season, with the exception of the 2026 NFL draft.
Of course, there is still a possibility for trades as well, but we now have a better understanding of what the makeup of the teams will look like. With that in mind, in this article, we will take a look at the early odds for the AFC East division winners.
2025-26 AFC East Recap
Before we jump into the odds for the upcoming season, here is a quick recap of how the AFC East teams fared in the 2025-26 season for a general context.
After ruling the division for five years in a row, the Buffalo Bills were finally dethroned by the New England Patriots last season. The Patriots (14-3) went on to reach the Super Bowl, eventually losing to the Seahawks. However, their season stood out for multiple reasons, including the first season for Mike Vrabel as the new head coach.
The Bills, on the other hand, regressed even though they made the playoffs with a (12-5) record. Despite many feeling it was the best chance for Josh Allen to finally lift the Lombardi Trophy, Buffalo crashed out in the Divisional round, losing to the Broncos.
As for the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets, both franchises had seasons to forget for different reasons. Miami finished with a (7-10) record, whereas the Jets could only manage a (3-14) record.
AFC East Division Winner Odds 2026-27
The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots are the frontrunners to clinch the AFC East divisional crown for the 2026-27 NFL season, as per the odds on FanDuel. The table below represents the latest division winner odds for the AFC East ahead of the upcoming season.
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As per the latest odds, the Bills are backed to reclaim their place at the top of the AFC East in the 2026-27 NFL season. The Patriots come in with the next best odds, while the Jets eclipse the Dolphins for the third spot.
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2026-27 AFC East Key Changes, Strength of Schedule, and Draft
Here are the key offseason changes that have taken place thus far, along with the strength of schedule and draft picks for the AFC East teams for the upcoming season.
Key Offseason Changes
The key offseason changes for the Buffalo Bills include the firing of former head coach Sean McDermott and his eventual replacement by former Bills’ OC, Joe Brady, as the new head coach. This move could help unlock the Bills’ offense to the next level.
The Bills also traded for top wide receiver target DJ Moore, handing Allen a true WR1, while the defense sees new faces such as Bradley Chubb, Dee Alford, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and others.
Moving on, the New England Patriots released wide receiver Stefon Diggs after just one season, but signed former Packer Romeo Doubs to a 4-year deal. Other key signings include LB Dre’Mont Jones, OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, S Kevin Byard, and TE Julian Hill, among others.
The New York Jets have had an eventful offseason so far. Some of the biggest signings include QB Geno Smith, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, EDGE Joseph Ossai, and LB Demario Davis. The Jets lost guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson, as well as LB Quincy Williams, as their key players.
The Miami Dolphins are in a rebuilding phase and have moved on from top players such as Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Xavien Howard, and more. Their main focus has been to strengthen the defensive depth of the team, but they have brought in QB Malik Willis on a 3-year deal in place of Tagovailoa.
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Strength of Schedule
The strength of schedule for all the AFC East teams is pretty tough, but it is the Dolphins who have the biggest challenge on hand. The Dolphins, with a (.542), have the second-most-difficult schedule in the league for the upcoming season.
The Patriots (.531) and the Bills (.528) are close to one another, with New England having the 6th most difficult schedule and Buffalo with the 8th toughest schedule. The Jets (.517) have the easiest schedule in the division, but overall, they have the 12th toughest in the league.
When it comes to draft picks, the Jets have the upper hand with a total of 9 selections at the moment. New York also has an added advantage with 4 picks inside the top 50, including the number 2 overall and the number 16 overall in the first round.
The Bills have just 7 picks in this year’s draft, with their first round selection coming towards the end of the round at number 26 overall. Currently, they do not hold a second round, but have a pair of fifth-round picks.
The Patriots have 11 selections at the moment, as per reports. They hold a mix of their own picks as well as others received through trades. However, being the Super Bowl runners-up, their first round selection is the 31st overall.
Miami also has 9 draft picks for the upcoming draft. Their first pick is the number 11th overall in round one. They also hold the 43rd overall pick in round 2, along with three picks in round 3.
Early prediction: Based on the overall factors mentioned above, we predict the Buffalo Bills to reclaim the AFC East in the 2026-27 NFL season.
(The above odds are sourced from FanDuel. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!)
I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
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