2026 NFL Season Preview

A losing record has been enough to claim the NFC South in two of the last four seasons and once again the NFC South shapes as the most mediocre in football.

Division Winner

Atlanta Falcons

NFC South Winner

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$4.75

The NFC South once again looks a complete mess where a 9-8 record will likely be enough to claim division honours. Just two teams across the last four seasons have posted winning records in the division with the 10-7 by the 2024 Bucs the outright best record.

Tampa Bay won four straight division titles before losing in a three-way tiebreak situation last season. They enter favoured to win the South but look under the odds. Todd Bowles is a mediocre mentor, there is little scope for improvement on defence after sitting in the top quarter of defensive health and a host of veterans have departed led by Mike Evans, Jamel Dean and Lavonte David. Like the rest of the division they have an easy schedule but they have limited scope for improvement.

Carolina claimed the South last year on the back of improved quarterback play from Bryce Young and a defence that rose to league average. The metrics though suggest they overachieved. They overshot their true win number by 1.5 wins while they went 7-3 in one-score games. They have invested further in their devence with Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd joining but their just aren’t many weapons on offense.

There has been some buzz around the Saints with Kellen Moore’s team hyped to improve in his second season. Tyler Shough is not a quarterback to build around though and they continue to lack an inside, everydown tailback who can move the chains with star signing Travis Etienne very much an outside speedster with declining pace.

That leaves Atlanta, the rank outsider of the division, as the value play. The Falcons completely reset when firing coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot. Bringing in Kevin Stefanski, who did an admirable job under impossible circumstances in Cleveland, has more to work with in Atlanta. The quarterback situation is a major concern with Tua Tagovaiola unable to separate from Michael Penix Jnr but the Falcons benefit from a soft schedule and should see some positive health regression on defence. They own a Top 10 offensive line and that is where success starts in the NFL. With the addition of pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, the Falcons have enough improvement on defence to win the division.

Season Wins Over/Under

New Orleans Under 7.5

Season Wins

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$1.96

The Saints have really taken a major hit on defence with the departures of Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor. The concern with the under is owning one of the easiest schedules but this team comes off five- and six-win seasons and there has not been any notable moves in terms of key positions or coaching to suggest any huge leap to get to eight wins.

Player Prop

Bijan Robinson

Over 3.5 Receiving Touchdowns

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$2.25

Bijan Robinson is arguably the best receiving running back in the NFL. In two of his three seasons he has four touchdowns through the air while his catch tally has gone from 58 to 61 to 79. Two running backs had five catching touchdowns apiece in a season under Stefanski in Cleveland (Kareem Hunt in 2020 and Jerome Ford in 2023) while Miami running backs had seven, six and four touchdowns catching each of the final three seasons Tua was there.

Editor in Chief

Frankie McDonald

Frankie has spent more than two decades working in the Australian wagering industry and is widely regarded for his expertise in AFL, NRL and horse racing tips.