2026 season · Week 9

AFC North Race & Playoff Odds

Updated Tue, Nov 3 · Based on 10,000 simulated seasons

The Cincinnati Bengals are the favorites to win the AFC North at 56% in the A to Z Sports model, followed by the Steelers (35%), the Browns (6%) and the Ravens (3%). Playoff odds: Bengals 88%, Steelers 77%, Browns 28% and Ravens 19%. From 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season with the NFL's official tiebreakers (updated Tue, Nov 3).

AFC North odds
TeamRecordDivisionMake playoffsWin divisionWin Super Bowl
Cincinnati Bengals5-2AFC North88%56%7%
Pittsburgh Steelers6-2AFC North77%35%3%
Cleveland Browns5-3AFC North28%6%<1%
Baltimore Ravens4-4AFC North19%3%1%

AFC North race at a glance

The Cincinnati Bengals are the favorites to win the AFC North at 56% in the A to Z Sports model, followed by the Steelers (35%), the Browns (6%) and the Ravens (3%). Playoff odds: Bengals 88%, Steelers 77%, Browns 28% and Ravens 19%. From 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season with the NFL's official tiebreakers (updated Tue, Nov 3).

AFC North teams: Ravens · Bengals · Browns · Steelers · Other divisions: AFC East · AFC South · AFC West · NFC East · NFC North · NFC South · NFC West · All 32 teams

About the A to Z Sports NFL Playoff Predictor

The A to Z Sports NFL Playoff Predictor: every team's path to the 2026 NFL playoffs. It gives all 32 teams their odds to make the playoffs, win their division, earn the No. 1 seed and win Super Bowl LXI, from 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season. Pick the winner of any game and every team's odds update, with the NFL's official tiebreakers and playoff format applied. Every team has a page with what it needs, who to root for and where it would pick in the draft, and you can build, download and share your own bracket. Free to use. No account needed.

Updated Tue, Nov 3 with results through Week 8. Odds from 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season.

How to use the NFL Playoff Predictor

  1. See every team's odds. We play out the rest of the season 10,000 times and count how often each team makes the playoffs, wins its division, earns the No. 1 seed and wins the Super Bowl.
  2. Pick any game. Tap a team to make it the winner. Both teams' strength updates the way it would after a real result, and every team's odds update across the league.
  3. Sim the rest. Use "Sim week" or "Sim the season" to fill in the games you haven't picked. Your picks stay locked.
  4. Watch the standings move. Every standing uses the NFL's official tiebreakers: head-to-head, division and conference record, common games, strength of victory and the rest.
  5. Pick the playoffs. See the Bracket shows the projected 14-team field. Tap any team to send it through; the bracket reseeds after the Wild Card round, just like the real one.
  6. Go deeper. Division pages show each race and how its ties get broken. Team pages show what your team needs, who to root for and where it would pick in the draft.
  7. Share it. Copy a link to your scenario, or download a ready-to-post graphic of your team's odds, the playoff picture or your bracket.

Frequently asked questions

Who will win the AFC North?

The A to Z Sports model favors the Cincinnati Bengals at 56%. Steelers 35%, Browns 6% and Ravens 3%.

How are ties in the AFC North broken?

With the NFL's official division tiebreakers: head-to-head, then division record, record in common games, conference record, strength of victory, strength of schedule, points-based rankings and finally a coin toss. With three or more teams, head-to-head uses the combined record among the tied teams. A tie for the division title happens in 18% of simulations; it's settled most often by head-to-head record and division record.

How many AFC North teams make the playoffs?

The division winner is guaranteed a top-four seed. Other AFC North teams can still earn one of the conference's three wild-card spots. In the simulations, an average of 2.1 AFC North teams make the playoffs.

Note: A to Z Media, LLC does not own any of the team, league or event logos depicted within this site. All sports logos contained within this site are properties of their respective leagues, teams, ownership groups and/or organizations.

If you join the newsletter, you hereby acknowledge and agree to receive email communications from A to Z Sports. You will have the option to unsubscribe at any time through a link provided in each correspondence. Review our Privacy Policy for more details.

A to Z Sports is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise associated with the National Football League, NFL Properties LLC, any NFL member club, the NFL Players Association, NFL Players Inc., or any player, coach, or other individual. All team names, nicknames, logos, uniforms, and other marks are the property of their respective owners and are used for informational and identification purposes only.

Playoff odds, projected standings, seeds, brackets and draft positions are estimates from A to Z Sports computer simulations, not predictions of fact and not official NFL standings, and are provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. They are not betting advice. Statistical information is believed accurate but is provided without warranty. Schedule, results and betting lines from nflverse.

Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsCookie Policy