Looking at the sports betting odds for success this coming season in the National Football League, we’re hearing a lot about the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the NFC, and then the likes of the Cleveland Browns, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs coming out of the AFC. A year ago, though, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a bit of betting credibility after signing Tom Brady, then didn’t even win their division, and they needed some luck to escape Washington and Green Bay with playoff victories even to get to the Super Bowl. We don’t see the likes of the Jacksonville Jaguars playing for the Lombardi Trophy in February, it’s likely that some of the NFL’s long shots will pay off at least with limited success this coming season.
Let’s look at three of them, get a good idea on the NFL odds for each team.
NFL News: 3 Long Shots Who Could Beat the Odds in 2021
The Washington Football Team won the dreadful NFC East last season, thanks in part to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson’s bizarre decision to bench Jalen Hurts for the fourth quarter of a winnable game against Washington. However, the team already had an elite defense, finishing seconds in yards permitted and fourth in points permitted. They added elite linebacker Jamin Davis in the draft and inked cornerback William Jackson III in free agency, so their defense might be the best in the league. At quarterback, they added Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had his best season of his career in Miami a year ago, only to get pushed aside for Tua Tagovailoa, so he has plenty of motivation. He has Antonio Gibson at tailback and a talented pair of offensive tackles to protect him in the pocket in Charles Leno Jr and Cornelius Lucas, along with Morgan Moses for depth. I like the Football Team to win the East again, even though Dallas got Dak Prescott back, because Dallas’ defense is very young and will work under a new coordinator.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won their first 11 games a year ago before falling off the table. The main question that the Steelers will face is the status and stamina of Ben Roethlisberger. The team has Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson to catch passes, and Najee Harris comes in as the top tailback in the draft class. The offensive line still has some holes, but the addition of Trai Turner was solid. The defense was one of the top units a year ago, and it should hold that status this fall. Bud Dupree is gone, but Alex Highsmith should fill his shoes, and the team still has Devin Bush Jr and T.J. Watt. Joe Haden, Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick will key the secondary, with just one cornerback spot open for competition in training camp. If the Browns and the Ravens stumble, the Steelers could push for a wild card and perhaps even a division title.
The Arizona Cardinals bring back a high-octane offense, with quarterback Kyler Murray returning for his third season with Christian Kirk and DeAndre Hopkins as his top wide receivers. The team also added A.J. Green to run routes, and Rondale Moore came via the draft. James Conner and Chase Edmonds make serviceable tailbacks. On defense, Chandler Jones and J.J. Watt will make for an intriguing pass rush. Isaiah Collins and rookie Zaven Collins will harass opposing offenses. Malcolm Butler came in via free agency to replace Patrick Peterson; Butler had 100 combined tackles in 2020, a career best, and he defended 14 passes and picked off four in 16 games. Budda Baker returns in the secondary to provide energy, and this is a team that could push to an NFC West title.
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