Feb. 11, 2026, 12:42 p.m. CT

Will the Houston Texans be a contender for a spot in the postseason next fall? That seems to be the plan, barring a colossal implosion of the defense under fourth-year coach DeMeco Ryans.

Will the two-time AFC South champions be any closer to winning their first Lombardi Trophy? Vegas right now isn’t too keen on that becoming a reality.

 According to BetMGM, Houston enters next season as the favorite to win the AFC South following a 12-5 campaign that still led to a wild-card berth last fall +160. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished with a division-leading 13 wins, follow close behind at +175, while the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans round out the division at +350 and +600, respectively.

That was expected since Houston returns 10 starters under contract on defense entering the offseason and should be better equipped on the offensive side to improve with the return of wideout Tank Dell. So long as C.J. Stroud can avoid the dreaded multi-turnover game, Houston should be at least a 10-win roster next fall.

But the odds for 2026’s run to Los Angeles are far from favorable for Houston’s liking entering February. To win the AFC as a whole,  Houston opens with the eighth-best odds at +1000. To win it all, it opens tied for the 12th-best odds at +2000. 

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

The Seattle Seahawks (+800) enter as the favorites to repeat with a majority of their roster returning next season. The Los Angeles Rams (+900), Baltimore Ravens (+1200), Buffalo Bills (+1200), Green Bay Packers (+1400), Kansas City Chiefs (+1400), Philadelphia Eagles (+1400), Detroit Lions (+1500), Los Angeles Chargers (+1500) and New England Patriots (+1500) round out the top 10, while the Texans remain tied with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville for odds as free agency looms. 

Surprisingly, Houston has better odds than Jacksonville to win the division and the Super Bowl, but worse odds to win the conference. The Jaguars were one spot ahead of the Texans at (+950) to win the conference, along with the Broncos.

Here is BETMGM odds for every team to win it all next season at SoFi Stadium following the end of the regular season:

2026 Super Bowl odds

TeamOddsSeattle Seahawks+800Los Angeles Rams+900Baltimore Ravens+1200Buffalo Bills+1200Green Bay Packers+1400Kansas City Chiefs+1400Philadelphia Eagles+1400Detroit Lions+1500Los Angeles Chargers+1500New England Patriots+1500San Francisco 49ers+1700Houston Texans+2000Denver Broncos+2000Jacksonville Jaguars+2000Chicago Bears+2500Cincinnati Bengals+3000Dallas Cowboys+3000Indianapolis Colts+4000Tampa Bay Buccaneers+4000Minnesota Vikings+5000Washington Commanders+5000Atlanta Falcons+6600New York Giants+6600Pittsburgh Steelers+8000Carolina Panthers+10000Tennessee Titans+10000Cleveland Browns+15000Las Vegas Raiders+15000New Orleans Saints+15000Arizona Cardinals+25000New York Jets+25000Miami Dolphins+25000

The Texans own eight picks in the upcoming NFL draft, including four in the top 70. Entering free agency, Houston only has -1.48 million in cap space.

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