Browns AFC North odds: Worst to first chance not at bottom of the NFL list

BEREA, OHIO - MAY 20: Head coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns directs a drill during the Cleveland Browns OTA Offseason Workouts at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on May 20, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Starting in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, expectations for the Cleveland Browns are a ton of losses. Given the five victories last season and the improved roster this offseason, those expectations might be way too low for the Browns, but that is why they play the games.

If you believe in Cleveland this year, the betting odds are very much in your favor. In the NFL, you never know how things can change from year to year. Almost every season, one team goes from worst to first, and vice versa. The Browns are one of the eight teams that were at the bottom of their division last year, with Pro Football Network giving them the third-worst chance of winning the AFC North this year:

Chances for last-place teams from the 2025 season to win the division in 2026, per PFSN's NFL Playoff Predictor:

Detroit Lions: 27.6%
New Orleans Saints: 22.1%
New York Giants: 10.4%
Tennessee Titans: 10.3%
Las Vegas Raiders: 7.3%
Cleveland Browns: 6.4%
New... pic.twitter.com/Ae09pw5FJA

- Pro Football Network (@PFSN365) May 31, 2026

One of the biggest variables in those percentages has to be the divisions the teams play in. Last year, the AFC North was down for a variety of reasons, including injuries. Three of the four teams fired their coaches, with Zac Taylor, who many think was the worst of the coaches, the only remaining one.

If Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are healthy, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens should be more competitive in 2026, while a new voice, HC Mike McCarthy, is the key to the Pittsburgh Steelers ability to compete.

For Cleveland, almost everything has changed. Perhaps all those changes lead to a division title in 2026.

What do you think of the Browns odds of winning the AFC North this year? Do you think they should be higher than a few teams trying to go from worst to first?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below