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NFL Coach Of The Year Betting Preview

The Contenders: Analyzing the Front-Runners for Coach of the Year

With all of the new coaching hires throughout the offseason, there are bound to be some that work out while others prove to be complete disasters. Case and point in 2020: Mike McCarthy proved to be an utter disaster in his first season in Dallas while Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year in his first year in Cleveland. Speaking of Stefanski, he’s among the favorites in the sportsbook. Is he a good bet to win it?

Kevin Stefanski

Odds: +1800

Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams yells to his team against the Green Bay Packers
Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP

Stefanski may seem like a longshot for this award at 18/1 but if you look at the sports betting odds, he’s just fifth down the board. He won the award last year and it’s not common (other than Bill Belichick) to win the award back-to-back. Stefanski is in good position, though, as the Cleveland Browns have put together a great roster. Not only did they break through and post a winning season, but they made it to the second round of the playoffs and put a scare in the Kansas City Chiefs. They’ve mostly returned the same roster and picked up Jadeveon Clowney to bolster their defensive line. They’ll also be getting Odell Beckham Jr. back from injury. If this team is even better than last season, Stefanski will be in the running again.

Brian Flores

Odds: +700

Brian Flores is the co-favorite, according to the Coach of the Year odds. He was just shy of winning this award the past couple of seasons but his team is looking better than ever. The Miami Dolphins have been slowly rebuilding with the only true piece missing being a franchise quarterback. Assuming that Tua Tagovailoa is able to step up and reach his potential next season, Miami could compete for a division title. Its defense is already solid, assuming that cornerback Xavien Howard will not hold out, and its offense added an explosive playmaker by taking wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Flores has this team on the cusp of contention. If he delivers, he could win this award.

Sean McVay

Odds: +1800

Sean McVay has been a coach to model after ever since he stepped up and became the lead man of the Los Angeles Rams. The team had a bit of a down season in 2020 but looks primed to get back to Super Bowl contention. The major upgrade during the offseason was the trade to bring in longtime Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff. Goff was a solid passer but Stafford could take the offense to that next level. If McVay can continue to innovate with his play-calling and the defense remains reliable, the Rams will contend for the NFC crown.

Brandon Staley

Odds: +1400

Lastly, we have McVay’s former cohort: Brandon Staley. He is a bit of a wild card when it comes to the NFL Coach of the Year race but has one of the best odds to win it. He used to be the defensive coordinator for the Rams but is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, bringing a defensive mindset to a team that has struggled with discipline, timeouts and poor coaching decisions over the last half-decade.

Staley has a ton of talent to work with on offense – especially with quarterback Justin Herbert and wideout Keenan Allen. On the other side of the football, he can definitely help out some of their young star players like Joey Bosa and Derwin James with his defensive background. If the Chargers force their way into the playoffs behind a revamped defense, Staley should be in the conversation to win the award.

 

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