As part of the NFL offseason list of betting futures, there are odds posted to win coach of the year honors for the 2021 regular season.
There are a number of new names on the list making their NFL head coaching debut. Leading the way is Brandon Staley as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He came over from the Los Angeles Rams as that team’s defensive coordinator. His odds to win coach of the year honors are set at +1200 along with Brian Flores as the head coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Staley and Flores Favored to Win
Of the two frontrunners, my lean would be towards Flores entering his third season at the helm. He led the Dolphins to five wins in his initial season before doubling that total to 10 in 2021.
Miami is listed at +375 odds to win the AFC East this season behind the Buffalo Bills as -150 favorites and the New England Patriots at +300 odds. Buffalo does appear to be the team to beat in this division while New England should bounce back from a down year (7-9) with Bill Belichick still at the helm.
The best value on the board is lower on the list at +1600 with Sean McVay back with the Rams at head coach. This team is just a few years removed from a run to the Super Bowl where it lost to New England in a defensive battle.
Following an early exit from the playoffs last year, McVay moved away from Jared Goff as his starting quarterback by trading him for long-time Detroit Lion veteran Matthew Stafford. This could be the move that puts Los Angeles back on the path for a Super Bowl title.
The betting odds that the Rams win the NFC West are +200 with the San Francisco 49ers a close second at +205. This should be the most competitive division race in the league this season with the Seattle Seahawks (+275) and the Arizona Cardinals (+475) rounding out the four-team list.
If McVay’s Rams can live up to expectations by winning the NFC West, it would catch the attention of anyone who votes for this annual award.
Deeper down the list, veteran head coach Mike McCarthy is an interesting pick at +2500. In his debut season with the Dallas Cowboys, the early loss of quarterback Dak Prescott sent the team tumbling to a six-win season.
McCarthy has had another year to settle in and Prescott should be ready to go come Week 1. Dallas is listed as a +135 favorite to win the water-downed NFC East so the table is set for a turnaround in 2021.
If you are really looking to stretch the odds in this NFL futures bet, Chicago Bears head coach Mike Nagy at +3300 could be a solid play. The Green Bay Packers (-120) are once again favored to win the NFC North but trouble in paradise with franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers could still derail this team.
The Minnesota Vikings are next at +240 with the Bears third on the list at +375. With Andy Dalton as a seasoned veteran quarterback while rookie Justin Fields waits in the wings, Chicago could shock a few teams this year.
Odds to Win NFL Coach of the Year 2021
Brandon Staley +1200
Brian Flores +1200
Kevin Stefanski +1400
Ron Rivera +1400
Arthur Smith +1600
Bill Belichick +1600
Sean McDermott +1600
Sean McVay +1600
Bruce Arians +1800
Kyle Shanahan +1800
Andy Reid +2000
Frank Reich +2200
Joe Judge +2200
John Harbaugh +2200
Matt Rhule +2200
Robert Saleh +2200
Matt LaFleur +2500
Mike McCarthy +2500
Sean Payton +2500
Urban Meyer +2500
Kliff Kingsbury +2800
Mike Tomlin +2800
Mike Vrabel +2800
Nick Sirianni +2800
Pete Carroll +2800
Jon Gruden +3300
Matt Nagy +3300
Mike Zimmer +3300
Vic Fangio +3300
Zac Taylor +3300
Dan Campbell +5000
David Culley +5000
