The Houston Texans finished 12-5 last season, doing so for only the second time in franchise history (2012). They did so after starting their 2025 campaign 0-3 and ripping off a nine-game win streak to close the year strong and head into the postseason. 

However, even with said 12 wins, the Texans had to settle for a road playoff game in Acrisure Stadium due to their AFC South counterparts in the Jacksonville Jaguars completing their year with a 13-4 record (first year of 13 or more wins since 1999). 

With the feat, the Jaguars would lay claim to the division crown and face the Buffalo Bills at home in the AFC Wildcard round. On the other side, Houston had to brave a cold January night against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pennsylvania to advance to the Divisional round. 

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts downwardly spiraled their way to a seven-game losing streak to close out the regular season, finishing with a mark of 8-9. This came after a scorching 7-1 start and having the best offense in the NFL for the beginning stages of play. 

The Tennessee Titans were bad all season long. Along the way, they fired head coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start to the season and had to watch as rookie quarterback Cam Ward took his early-career lumps week in and week out against opposing defenses. All this led to a 3-14 record and a top-four selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

With that said, the previous season is now in the books and it's time for franchises to head back to the drawing board and plan for how to improve their team's NFL standing in the regular season. 

One of the priorities for the Texans as always will be figuring out a way to win the division. In this case, it would be the third division win in the last four years and ninth time since 2011. 

Besides recent history as a basis, DraftKings sportsbook also has spoken to its perception of the division heading into 2026. According to the site, the AFC South's final ranking after week 18 will be:

- Houston Texans (+155)

- Jacksonville Jaguars (+180)

- Indianapolis Colts (+350)

- Tennessee Titans (+750)

Thus, DraftKings is now projecting that the Texans are the favorites heading the new league year. It makes a lot of sense, seeing as though the Texans will be returning the best defense in the NFL, along with having a presumably improved offensive operation. 

The Texans and Jaguars split last season, including a thrilling 36-29 comeback victory for Houston over Jacksonville. Those two are considered the 1.A and 1.B of the division right now, but the edge would slightly favor Houston according to oddsmakers. 

However, the games are played on the field, not on a spreadsheet. The Texans have a lot of work to do it they want to retake the AFC South crown from the much improved Jaguars under head coach Liam Coen. 

Do you think the Texans should be the favorites right now? Let us know in the comments section below and by mentioning us at @Texans_RTB on X and @Texans.Roundtable on TikTok!