The New Orleans Saints won the NFC South division at 12-4 last season, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons were both far off the mark and well under .500.
This is one of the top-heavier divisions in the NFL, and Drew Brees’ retirement made Tampa even heavier favorites.
Odds to Win NFC South in 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Preview 2021
The Bucs are -175 favorites to win the division. They have the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, under center, and get all 22 of their starters back.
Tampa Bay had a slow start in the last regular season but turned it on after the bye week. With another year of experience and familiarity, they should start much better than they did before.
The key player for Tampa’s offense is the man himself, Tom Brady, while Devin White stands out on defense. Though they have 20 years of age between them, both captain their respective sides of the football. There is no real weakness in the Bucs’ game, and they are incredibly hard to scheme for.
New Orleans Saints Team Preview 2021
The Saints have the second-best odds at +250, though they are a fair margin of Tampa Bay. Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees retired in the offseason, giving the reins to Jameis Winston. A former Buc himself, Winston is turnover prone but has thrown for 5,000+ yards in a season already.
Though they are known for their offense, the Saints’ defense has been one of the best units in the league recently. They allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game and can get after the quarterback regardless of who they play.
New Orleans is in a transition period under center, and the performance of the role players will be key. Winston knows that he has big shoes to fill, though he has shown that he is confident and will take on challenges.
Carolina Panthers Team Preview 2021
At +700, the Panthers will be under the radar for most of the coming season. They made a big offseason move by trading for the New York Jets’ Sam Darnold, a three-year QB. Darnold has not lived up to the expectations of a third-overall pick but was never given enough help to succeed.
Carolina’s down year largely coincided with Christian McCaffrey missing time; with him back, they could make some noise.
The Panthers have a suspect back-end, but with eight-overall selection Jaycee Horn slotting in at corner, they will be better. They are likely still a few pieces away from making a playoff run but should play their divisional rivals close.
Atlanta Falcons Team Preview 2021
At +800, the Falcons are the biggest underdogs in the NFC South. Their 2019 Super Bowl appearance feels like a lifetime ago, as they have fallen drastically in the past few years.
Atlanta picked up an incredible prospect at tight end, Kyle Pitts, in the draft but lost Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans. They still have former MVP Matt Ryan taking snaps, but he is getting older and worse with time.
The main problem for the Falcons is their terrible defense, which allowed more passing yards than any other in football. They have some nice offensive talent, but their defense will hold them back.
2021 NFC South Predictions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to win this division, no doubt about it. Not only are they the defending Super Bowl Champions, but they are simply better than everyone else.
The Saints would be a worthy hedge bet, or even a dark horse, should Winston demonstrate more control over the ball. Although they lost in the playoffs, they won both regular-season meetings with the Bucs in 2020.
Carolina and Atlanta have no real chance of doing anything noteworthy in the division and are .500 at best.
PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-175)
Read our 2021 NFC East preview, 2021 NFC West preview and 2021 NFC North preview.
