The AFC East title race became a lot more interesting with the results of Sunday's Week 9 NFL games.
The Buffalo Bills entered the weekend with a 5-2 record and poised to improve it with a matchup versus a much-inferior Jacksonville Jaguars team on the road. The Bills, inexplicably, struggled all afternoon and actually lost 9-6. It was only Jacksonville's second win of the season.
All of a sudden the Bills are just a half-game ahead of the rival New England Patriots for first place in the division.
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NFL Playoff Picture: How Patriots' position improved greatly in Week 9
The Patriots have won three games in a row for the first time since 2019 after beating the Carolina Panthers 24-6 on the road Sunday. New England currently occupies the third wild card playoff spot in the AFC as the No. 7 seed.
What are the chances the Patriots reclaim the AFC East crown?
Well, oddsmakers aren't expecting the Bills to lose their grip on the division just yet.
New England Patriots
Here are the latest betting lines for the AFC East entering Week 10 -- odds provided by our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook.
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
| Team | Win-Loss | Odds |
| Buffalo Bills | 5-3 | -750 |
| New England Patriots | 5-4 | +400 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-6 | +25000 |
| New York Jets | 2-7 | +50000 |
The head-to-head matchups between the Bills and Patriots likely will decide the division. They are scheduled to play in Buffalo in Week 13 and in New England in Week 16.
Perry's Report Card: Defense and running game keep emerging
Both teams have a few tough games remaining on their schedules besides those head-to-head contests. The Patriots still need to play the AFC-leading Tennessee Titans, as well as the Cleveland Browns. The Bills still have to square off against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Buffalo does, however, have two more games against the New York Jets remaining, and those likely will be two victories.
The Bills deserve to be the favorites in the division, but they should not take the Patriots lightly. New England's defense is no joke, and the run game is starting to hit its stride.
The AFC East race hasn't been too competitive late in the season over the last decade, but 2021 could be different, and that scenario would be awesome for football fans.