2024 NFL Season AFC South Odds: New-look Houston Texans the favorites

The Houston Texans shocked the NFL landscape by going 10-7 and winning the AFC South in quarterback CJ Stroud's rookie campaign, and they're favored to repeat that accomplishment after acquiring a few big names this offseason.

The rest of the teams in the division - the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans - also have young QBs, but they don't have the quality of supporting cast or defense that the Texans have.

That said, there is plenty of room for surprises in the AFC South after three of these teams finished 2023 with winning records while one of those teams - the Colts - went 12 games without its starting QB.

NFL AFC South 2024 - To Win Division

HOU Texans	+110
JAX Jaguars	+250
IND Colts	+320
TEN Titans	+900

Houston Texans +110

CJ Stroud flew past expectations in his debut NFL campaign as the won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award as a result of posting 4,108 passing yards and a 23-5 TD-INT ratio on a 63.9 percent completion percentage in 15 games.

Ahead of this season, star wide receiver Tank Dell is fully healthy, Dell and fellow young star wideout Nico Collins will be a year older, and four-time Pro Bowl WR Stefon Diggs joined the receiver room. Plus, they got a new top running back in Joe Mixon.

Houston's offense got two huge weapons, and their defense got one of its own in Danielle Hunter, who ended the 2023 campaign with 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss.

Jacksonville Jaguars +250

The big question surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars is the same one that has been asked of the team since 2021: is this the season in which quarterback Trevor Lawrence - who just inked a lucrative long-term extension - delivers on the potential that made him one of the most hyped No. 1 picks in NFL Draft history?

Jacksonville's offense took a hit with the loss of star wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency, made worse by the fact he signed with the division rival Tennessee Titans. The draft selection of former LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. and the free agency signing of Gabe Davis will do a lot to lessen that blow.

On defense, Jacksonville should see major improvement. Not only did they re-sign last year's team sack leader Josh Hines-Allen, but they got cornerback Ronald Darby and defensive lineman Arik Armstead in free agency and drafted LSU defensive tackles Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson.

Indianapolis Colts +320

In 2023, the Indianapolis Colts lost starting rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in Week 4 due to a shoulder injury, but backup Gardner Minshew stepped up and led the team to a winning record while securing himself a Pro Bowl honor. Minshew is with the Las Vegas Raiders now, but the Colts will be glad to see that Richardson had a much better touchdown-interception ratio.

Indy had the more experienced Minshew attempt 7.8 more passes per game than Richardson, which could indicate a more run-focused approach this season.

Indy got Richardson some help this offseason by drafting Texas standout WR Adonai Mitchell in the second round while also signing top receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to a contract extension. Plus, Jonathan Taylor is still in the backfield and he can carry a heavy burden.

The Colts should also see improvement on defense. They drafted productive UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu and brought in defensive tackle Raekwon Davis to join standouts like Ronnie Harrison Jr., Julian Blackmon and Kenny Moore on that side of the ball.

Tennessee Titans +900

Under a new head coach in former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, the Tennessee Titans are set to lean fully into Will Levis as the team's franchise quarterback in the 2024 season. In nine starts in 2023, his per-game stats were better than last season's initial starter, Ryan Tannehill.

Levis will have to cope without star running back Derrick Henry, who left in free agency. But the young QB now has Calvin Ridley as his main receiving target and Tony Pollard to carry the burden in the backfield, as well as rookie offensive tackle JC Latham protecting him.

The main defensive addition is L'Jarius Sneed, who Tennessee acquired for a steal (2024 seventh-round pick and 2025 third-round pick) from the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. He'll bring some much-needed playmaking ability to the defense that forced the second-fewest turnovers in the league in 2023.

Odds displayed in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.