2022 AFC East Predictions & Odds: Bills Lead in Unpredictable Division Race

The AFC East Division within the NFL consists of 4 teams on the East Coast. The Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets fight for the division title each season.

Last year, the Buffalo Bills posted an 11-6 record and won the division by 1 game. The New England Patriots, with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, made a fantastic run at the upset, but ultimately fell short with a Week 18 loss.

The odds are a bit tighter than expected this season within the AFC East. The Dolphins and Patriots could be playoff teams, and the Bills will have to hold them off to secure a third straight division title and hold onto their spot as Super Bowl favorites.

2022 AFC East Title Odds

Odds are via BetOnline.

• Buffalo Bills -220
• Miami Dolphins +450
• New England Patriots +500
• New York Jets +2400

2022 AFC East Record Predictions

• Buffalo Bills 13-4
• New England Patriots 12-5
• Miami Dolphins 10-7
• New York Jets 3-14

2022 AFC East Predictions

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are the Super Bowl favorite heading into the 2022 season. Quarterback Josh Allen and the rest of the offense is on the rise, and they showed their prominence last season.

In 2021, the Bills finished the regular season with the best overall defense in the league, only allowing 272.8 yards per game. They also only allowed 289 points over their entire 17 game schedule. Only allowing 17 points per game while scoring an average of 28 yourself is the perfect recipe for success this season.

I put the Bills at 13-4 this season, and the team will be the strongest we have seen. Josh Allen is only going to get better, and he should be in the conversation for MVP at the end of the year. Bet on Buffalo to make a deep playoff run and win the AFC East.

New England Patriots

The Patriots made a good run last season with their new quarterback, Mac Jones. In his rookie season, he threw for 3,801 yards and passed for 22 touchdowns. The only issue was the TD/INT ratio. He threw 13 picks in 2021, which dropped his QB rating to 92.5.

The upside to last season was the continuation of a dominant defense. They ranked 2nd in defense just behind the Buffalo Bills. They are projected to repeat that success and have one of the best defenses of 2022.

The Patriots should improve this season. They could potentially post a 12-5 record and secure the top wild card spot in the AFC. I also have them with the best divisional record in the AFC East at 5-1. The Patriots could be a sneaky bet with the development of Mac Jones. Expect good thing to return to the Patriots this season.

Miami Dolphins

Watch out for the Dolphins in 2022. They could very well sneak in and steal some wins away from the Patriots and Bills if those teams aren’t careful. They have a respectable defense ranked in the middle of the pack, but their offense is coming along nicely.

The Dolphins now have Tyreek Hill in the passing game, which will make defenses have to adjust for the added speed. Add that to Tua Tagovailoa’s mobility at quarterback, and there is a brand new look for Miami’s offense.

10-7 is a safe bet for the Dolphins, but once the season gets underway, the win total projections could go up. Right now I have them at 3rd place in the division, narrowly missing the playoffs. However, with a brand new look, you should expect the unexpected.

New York Jets

The Jets have some work to do in 2022. There is still question whether their 2nd year quarterback, Zach Wilson, can pull them into playoff contention. He only passed for 2,334 yards in 13 games last year and had 9 touchdowns. He also had 11 interceptions and was sacked 44 times.

The offensive line won’t get much help after the draft, but there are a few more offensive and defensive pieces to play with. The Jets took cornerback Sauce Gardner with the 4th overall pick in the draft. They also took, arguably, the best wide receiver of the class, Garrett Wilson.

The future looks better than the present for the Jets. With a tough division and schedule this year, I have New York at a lowly 3-14 on the season. They may be looking at another Top 5 pick next year in the draft.