Week Six of the 2025 NFL season is now in the books, and the campaign is beginning to heat up. While the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles remain the two frontrunners to meet in San Francisco next February, a slew of other heavy hitters currently find themselves in disarray. Chief among them are the Baltimore Ravens.
Heading into 2025, online betting sites had Jim Harbaugh’s men right up there with both the aforementioned Bills and Eagles as Lombardi frontrunners. However, after yet another drubbing, this time to the Los Angeles Rams, the bookies no longer consider the Ravens a threat. The latest odds from the popular Bovada betting site currently price them as a distant +3000, and even that pricing is based on a full return to fitness for superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.
But while Baltimore is floundering, a number of contenders have risen in its place, some more recognizable as playoff contenders than others. Here are our three best bets to win their respective divisions this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have been the NFL’s most dominant force for eight years now, but critics had begun to question Arrowhead after their bruising defeat to Philadelphia at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans back in February. The naysayers only grew in number as KC went 0-2 to start the season, marking their worst start to a campaign during the Patrick Mahomes era. However, their best performances of the season in a resounding 30-17 victory against NFC contenders Detroit have immediately catapulted the Chiefs back into contention.
Embed tweet here – https://x.com/bovadaofficial/status/1977548823477232032?s=46&t=Jxc74bqcdlQ9Bjed4TR1Jw
Trailing the AFC West pack only weeks ago, the Chiefs’ dismantling of the Lions was a shot across the bow. The mercurial Mahomes produced his sharpest outing of the season—257 yards, four total TDs, three through the air—hitting a 122.8 passer rating as the offense operated with cohesion not seen since January. Beyond the dazzling tape, Kansas City’s discipline stood out: a mere three penalties and sustained execution in critical moments, with the veteran Travis Kelce returning to the kind of form we have become accustomed to throughout his storybook career.
Importantly, the AFC West has offered Kansas City a reprieve. The Chargers and Broncos both threatened to streak clear at the division’s summit, but they are only one win clear of the Chiefs heading into week seven. Even so, punters can still get lavish odds of +135 to claim the divisional crown for a tenth straight year. Those odds seem too good to pass up.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh thrives when doubts linger. Heading into 2025, the Black and Yellow were an afterthought in the AFC North, with hopes instead pinned on the Ravens and the Bengals. However, injuries to franchise quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow have nuked both those teams’ hopes, and the Steelers now stand alone at the division’s summit.
Their 4–1 record and a 23–9 demolition of the Browns in Week 6 signaled a return to that gritty, relentless defensive identity. Aaron Rodgers, so often a lightning rod for scrutiny, silenced critics with a beautifully efficient line: 21 completions from 30 passes, 235 yards, two touchdowns, and—most critically—zero interceptions.
But defense is the storyline—and what a story it is. Six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback pressures: Pittsburgh’s front is a tidal wave, spearheaded by T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Together, they rank among the NFL’s most potent edge pairings, combining technical brilliance with a relentless engine. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s blend of youth and experience has shut down red zone threats, giving Pittsburgh the league’s best points-per-red-zone-trip rate.
Baltimore’s myriad injuries, headlined by two-time MVP Jackson, coupled with Cincinnati’s reliance on veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to keep them relevant until Burrow’s return, means that Pittsburgh is the surefire favorite to claim the AFC North. The bookies’ odds reflect that, but -150 odds still seem incredibly generous considering the plight of their biggest rivals.
Indianapolis Colts
The resurrection of the Indianapolis Colts and their much-maligned quarterback Daniel Jones is, without question, the story of the season so far. Week 6’s gritty 31–27 comeback against Arizona lifted Indy to a scarcely believable 5-1, and now they currently find themselves as the shock -130 favorites to win the AFC South. And, we can’t believe that we’re saying this, but they are looking like a surefire bet to win the division for the first time in 11 years.
Running back Jonathan Taylor remains their chess piece—128 yards and 2 TDs in Week 6 alone, plus a league-leading 0.28 broken tackles per carry, make him somewhat unstoppable. An offensive line in peak form, ranking top-five in both pass and run block win rate, has been the scaffolding on which this turnaround rests. And then there’s Jones, whose blistering rebirth has come out of nowhere, although it has certainly been welcomed with open arms at Lucas Oil Stadium.
While the Colts keep picking up wins, their divisional rivals have fallen away. The reigning back-to-back divisional champion Houston Texans are currently sitting at 2-3 with an impotent offense. The Jaguars are also in good form, but their home defeat to Seattle in week six has experts wondering whether they can keep up the pace throughout a full season. That leaves the in-form Colts, who, with their favourable remaining schedule, look poised to unbelievably win the division.