NFC South Odds: Panthers Not Expected to Repeat as Champions

It was yet another down year for the NFC South, as three teams finished with an 8-9 record, which led to the Carolina Panthers being crowned division champions based on a tiebreaker.

The bad news is 2026 is likely going to be another down year for the division, but the good news, at least from a betting perspective, is it's completely wide open, and all four teams have a legitimate chance to win it. In fact, last season's champions, the Panthers, have the longest odds of the bunch.

Let's take a look.

2026-27 NFC South Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Buccaneers +115
Saints +340
Falcons +390
Panthers +425

The Buccaneers, despite losing out based on a three-way tiebreaker last season, are back to being the favorite to win the NFC South at +115 odds, an implied probability of 46.15%. They still have the best quarterback in the division, Baker Mayfield, but many believe that for them to truly take the next step forward, they need to move on from head coach Todd Bowles. Instead, they decided to bring back Bowles for another season.

The biggest surprises on the odds list are that the Saints are second at +340 and that the Panthers, who just won the division, are fourth at +425.

The Saints finished two games back at the end of the year, but their rookie quarterback, Tyler Shough, impressed in the final stretch of the season. Their defense also ranked in the top half of most metrics, meaning they aren't far away from contending in this division heading into next season. With Kellen Moore entering his second year as head coach, they are a team that many expect to improve in 2026.

The Panthers won the division and almost upset the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round, but it's clear the betting market doesn't believe in this team. Bryce Young likely did enough to earn himself another year as the Panthers' starter, but is he good enough to make Carolina a contender? Can the Panthers improve on their defense, which was one of the worst in the NFL? Having to play a first-place schedule certainly puts them behind the eight ball in 2026.

Finally, there are the Falcons, who have moved on from Raheem Morris and have brought in Kevin Stefanski to lead this team moving forward. They retained Jeff Ulbrich, who turned their defense into a top 10 unit in the league last year, but there remains the big question at quarterback. Can Michael Penix still be the guy in Atlanta? If he can come back healthy and improved in 2026, the Falcons will be a popular bet to win the division.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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