Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jets already have a massive advantage in quest for AFC East title ahead of 2024 NFL season

Originally posted on A to Z Sports
By Mauricio Rodriguez | Last updated 5/7/24

The New York Jets and the rest of the NFL are close to finding out exactly what their 2024 regular season looks like as the league will release the schedule at some point in May.

Although there's no official date yet, we already know the opponents the Jets will face this year and Mike Antoniou put together a guide to the schedule including his predictions for primetime games, must-watch matchups, strength of schedule, revenge games, and much more.

When digging into the strength of schedule, however, I thought it noteworthy that the Jets have a significant advantage opposed to their top rival within the division.

Jets have a much easier schedule than the Bills do in 2024

Although many insist on using last year's win-loss record to determine strength of schedule, things change so quickly in the NFL that is always a better idea to use Las Vegas' win total projections for the upcoming season. Although the betting world doesn't get everything right, they're usually pretty darn close in the grand scheme of things.

Using this method, popularized by Warren Sharp from Sharp Football, the Jets' schedule ranks 4th in the league (1st being the easiest). Meanwhile, the Bills will face the 23rd schedule.

Sharp Football Analysis (via A To Z Sports)

That's one of the few benefits of having finished third in the division following Aaron Rodgers' injury. The Jets will ultimately avoid many of the top players in a loaded AFC including the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, Buffalo gets those two and the Detroit Lions out of the NFC (Jets will face the rookie-quarterbacked Minnesota Vikings).

For what it's worth, the Miami Dolphins also have a Top 10 easy schedule but the Bills are considered the team to beat as they're currently the division champs and the odds-on favorite to win the title in 2024.

Although the Jets are currently the third favorite within the division behind the Bills and Dolphins, they already hold a massive advantage before the final schedule is even announced.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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