I am a firm believer in the concept of relative divisional strength. The idea is that when trying to break down a matchup between two seemingly equal teams you should give greater weight to the club from the better division. And that considering a team’s division – and also their conference – can create a framework from which a bettor can gauge line value.

Relative divisional strength is also a great way to gauge how underrated and overrated specific teams are. Because teams play nearly half their schedule – six of 16 games – against the teams in their division, understanding which divisions are soft and which are competitive can give a handicapper greater perspective when trying to evaluate a team’s overall record.

For instance, the 2012 Indianapolis Colts won 11 games and earned a wild card berth. Yet they were more than a touchdown underdog in the playoffs against Baltimore, a team that won just 10 games. Why? Because we knew that the Ravens – who won easily, 24-9 – were the better team. And we knew that because even though the Ravens had a weaker record, we knew they came from the much, much more difficult and competitive division.

On a much larger scale, I make the same analysis using teams from different conferences. Right now the NFC is by far the superior conference. They have much better, more developed teams and, not surprisingly, the NFC has produced four of the last six Super Bowl Champions. However, that came after a run of eight tiles in 10 years for the AFC, which followed the infamous period of NFC dominance that resulted in 13 straight Super Bowl Champions.

I recently finished up my previews and predictions for each division in the NFL. Now I thought it would be a fun and useful exercise to rank each division based on how they have performed in the last season, last three years and last five years, while also considering their prospects for the upcoming season. Here are my findings:

1. NFC North

2012 Nondivisional Record = 23-17
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 68-52
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 101-99

Sure, I’m emotionally biased because my favorite team, Chicago, plays in the rugged NFC North. However, the numbers don’t lie about how strong this division was last year and how good it remains heading into 2013.

The NFC North was tied with the NFC West for the most nondivisional wins in the NFL last year (23). Also, the North had three teams – Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago – tally 10 or more wins, and they nearly sent all three to the postseason. Further, the NFC North has the best three-year record in football, going 68-52 against the rest of the NFL. It is tough to argue that they aren’t the best division when they have the best mark against everyone.

Teams in the NFC North crossover with the AFC North and the NFC East this year. That gives them the toughest nondivisional slate in the game, so they will have to continue to earn this top ranking.

2. NFC South

2012 Nondivisional Record = 22-18
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 67-53
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 116-84

I feel that the NFC South is the most competitive division in football heading into this season. And, frankly, it has been the most competitive in the 11 years it has existed. No team has ever won back-to-back division titles in the NFC South, and worst-to-first turnarounds have been commonplace.

There is a great case to be made for the NFC South as the top league in the land. It has by far the best five-year nondivisional record in football (116-84), and the South was just one win below the NFC North in its three-year and 2013 records. The NFC South is the only group that hasn’t had a losing season against the rest of the league in the past five years.

One of the main reasons why I feel this is a great division is that it is the only group in the NFL that boasts four franchise quarterbacks. Drew Brees and Matt Ryan are among the top signal callers in the game. And Cam Newton and Josh Freeman are both young, talented leaders that seem poised to be long-term solutions for their clubs.

The NFC South crosses over with the AFC East and the NFC West this season.

3. AFC North

2012 Nondivisional Record = 21-19
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 67-53
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 107-92-1

This is clearly the standout division in the sagging AFC right now. The North is home to the defending Super Bowl Champion Ravens and has had a representative in The Big Game four times in the last eight years, the best mark in the NFL. There are three potential playoff teams this year. And were it not for sad sack Cleveland, this group may be ranked even higher.

The North is tied with the NFC South with 67 nondivisional wins over the past three years, good for second place. And their 107 nondivisional wins over the past half-decade are good enough for No. 3 in the league.

To its credit, the AFC North is also one of the few divisions that are still dedicated to playing tough, physical, punch-your-opponent-in-the-mouth football. They cross over with the AFC East and NFC North this year. 

4. NFC East

2012 Nondivisional Record = 19-21
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 57-63
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 105-95

I really wrestled long and hard with whom would be the No. 4 division between the NFC East and the NFC West. But at the end of the day I am going to go with the traditional power over the trendy division of the moment.

This ranking actually may seem low to some people. But the NFC East generally gets more credit than it deserves because the four teams get a ton of national exposure. The Cowboys, Giants, Redskins and Eagles are four of the most popular teams in football and hail from some of the largest markets in the country. But just because they get more than their fair share of primetime games doesn’t mean that they have been playing a better brand of football.

And this isn’t exactly high time for the East. The division is completely up for grabs this season. Washington is having a Renaissance, but they have been terrible for most of the last 15 years. Philadelphia’s prospects aren’t all that rosy in the post-Reid era. The Giants have missed the playoffs in three of the last four years with one surprise Super Bowl run mixed in. And Dallas has been the poster child for overhyped, overrated football teams.

The East crosses over with the NFC North and the AFC West this year.

5. NFC West

2012 Nondivisional Record = 23-17
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 54-66
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 76-124

I actually think that this ranking is pretty generous considering that the NFC West has been the gimp of the NFL for the past decade or so. The West’s 76-124 record against the rest of the league over the last season is pathetic. And it was just two years ago that this group sent a below .500 team to the postseason as the division winner.

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say that the NFC West “may be the best division in football” going into 2013. It is ridiculous what one good season does to people’s memories.

The West has two of Super Bowl favorites heading into the season in San Francisco and Seattle. But the West also has three young, relatively inexperienced quarterbacks leading their respective teams, and that makes for more uncertainty than I like. I am not on the bandwagon with the West.

The NFC West crosses over against the NFC South and the AFC South. Having the AFC South on the slate is a major bonus. However, that means the teams from the West will each have at least four games on the schedule that are 10 a.m. local starts after cross-country flights.

6. AFC East

2012 Nondivisional Record = 19-21
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 64-56
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 110-90

New England’s dirty secret during the Tom Brady Era is that the rest of the AFC East has been completely pathetic. This upcoming season is a perfect example; for all of the offseason turmoil that the Patriots have endured, they are still favored to win the division title for the 10th time in 11 years – and they will likely do so by multiple games.

The nine previous division titles in the past decade are amazing. But perhaps just as impressive is the fact that even though they make up just 25 percent of the AFC East, the Patriots have accounted for one-third of the East’s nondivisional wins over the past five years.

The Jets are a travelling circus. The Dolphins are perpetually rebuilding. And the Bills are just a sad, sick joke. These three franchises have combined for just five playoff appearances in the past 10 years. The Patriots have nine.

7. AFC South

2012 Nondivisional Record = 19-21
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 51-69
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 103-97

Somehow the AFC South had two playoff teams in 2012. But I assure you that won’t happen again this year, even in the sorry AFC. The three worst divisions in the NFL are in the American Conference. But even among this cesspool, the odds of two teams breaking out from the South are slim. 

The AFC South’s three-year record of 51-69 against the rest of the league is the worst in the NFL. Their five-year mark isn’t bad. But like the AFC East, the South’s numbers have been padded by the fact that the Manning-led Colts dominated everyone for the better part of the last decade.

Houston, which is far and away the best team in this division, has not been that competitive in its matchups with the other elite teams in the league. And beyond the perfectly mediocre Texans, the rest of the South is a joke. Tennessee and Jacksonville have been chasing their tails for years. Indianapolis is an excellent organization and shouldn’t stay down for long. But this is also the team that earned the No. 1 overall pick just two seasons ago, so they aren’t immune to failure.

Teams from the South will matchup with teams from the AFC and NFC West this year. That will make for a lot of frequent flier miles.

8. AFC West

2012 Nondivisional Record = 14-26
3-Year Nondivisional Record: 52-68
5-Year Nondivisional Record: 81-119

Peyton Manning sure can pick ‘em, eh? After spending his entire career in the feeble AFC South, he migrated to Denver and now gets to enjoy playing against The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight in the AFC West.

The AFC West was pathetic last year, winning the fewest nondivisional games in the NFL. They have the second-worst three-year record against the rest of the league, and their five-year totals aren’t exactly bursting with fruit flavor.

Kansas City had the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft by virtue of having the worst record in the NFL. That is the third time in the last 11 years a team from the West has been the worst in the league, tied with the AFC South for the most.

The AFC West hasn’t sent a team to the Super Bowl since the Raiders were blown out by Tampa Bay back in January of 2003. And if Denver doesn’t get the job done this year, there won’t be another Super Bowl team from the West for awhile since the other three teams, San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City, are all in full blown rebuilding mode.

The AFC South and the NFC East both have the pleasure of crossing over with the AFC West teams this year.

Robert Ferringo is a lead writer for Doc’s Sport and he has earned over $9,000 in football profit for his clients over the last 15 football months. He is looking forward to another amazing season on the gridiron and has banked five of six winning NFL seasons, two of three winning years and 27 of 39 winning football months. And this fall, for the first time ever, Robert will release selections from his incredible KING College Football Betting System. (Learn more HERE.) We are so confident that you will be amazed by this moneymaking system we are going to give you a free, no-strings-attached $60 credit to use toward a purchase of Robert’s football selections. CLICK HERE for $60 absolutely free!

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