NFL Coach of the Year Odds: Matt LaFleur the Heavy Favorite, but Mike Vrabel Picking up Speed

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: Matt LaFleur the Heavy Favorite, but Vrabel Picking up Speed

The NFL betting odds to win the Coach of the Year Award for the 2021-22 season have proven to be one of the most flexible futures markets available. Just when it seems that one head coach is emerging with the best case, his team takes a tumble and so do his respective odds. Essentially for the past month, there has been a new name soaring up the board after every week of games. There have also been a couple of coaches who have been carrying short odds for some time now even as the market has risen and fallen around them. 

Will it be one of the mainstays atop the COTY betting odds who ultimately walks away with the award? Or will one of the late arrivals to the party emerge with the hardware and prove to be the winning ticket? With Week 18 still to come, perhaps a coach further down the odds board will be able to make one final case for why he is deserving. While many of the NFL award markets have a semblance of clarity at this point, the Coach of the Year remains hard to predict. 

The following article sheds some light on the updated NFL betting odds to win the Coach of the Year Award. It discusses the case for 12 coaches who have at least an outside shot at winning the award and also attempts to predict how Week 18 might impact their chances.

Click here for the latest NFL Coach of the Year odds

NFL Coach of the Year Odds

Matt LaFleur — Green Bay Packers

Coach of the Year Odds: +175

Could this year’s NFL MVP and Coach of the Year award winners both come from the same team? The COTY betting odds still give Matt LaFleur an excellent chance to rake in the honor. Despite the widespread opinion that the Packers would be nothing without reigning MVP, Aaron Rodgers, LaFleur remains the consensus betting favorite to win Coach of the Year. He certainly has compiled a whole bunch of wins since taking over as Green Bay’s head man in 2019. His 39-9 regular-season record equates to a .813 winning percentage.

No NFL betting odds currently list LaFleur longer than +175 to win COTY. That price is available at DraftKings and FanDuel while other sportsbooks list him as low as +150.

Zac Taylor — Cincinnati Bengals

Coach of the Year Odds: +200

After the Bengals upset the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch the AFC North Division title last week, Zac Taylor became the hot name in the Coach of the Year odds market. In fact, he has even surpassed Matt LaFleur at some shops and now stands as the favorite to win the award. While guiding Cincinnati from worst to first in the division is certainly impressive, the steam on Taylor’s COTY odds is somewhat surprising. Similar to the Green Bay situation, it’s fair to ponder exactly how much of the Bengals’ success Taylor is responsible for.

With the massive surge on Taylor’s odds to win Coach of the Year after Week 18, there is now a wide discrepancy across the NFL betting market. He is the favorite at DraftKings with a price of +150. However, bettors can still obtain a 2-1 line at FanDuel.

Mike Vrabel — Tennessee Titans

Coach of the Year Odds: +350

In all honesty, the third choice on the NFL Coach of the Year odds board might actually be the best choice. The fact that the Titans are on the verge of locking up the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the AFC Playoffs is a major testament to Mike Vrabel and the entire coaching staff. Tennessee has been playing without its biggest star in Derrick Henry since the midway point of the season. Star wideouts A.J. Brown and Julio Jones have also both missed several games. Yet, the Titans have toppled virtually every other legitimate contender in the AFC. The major difference between Vrabel and the two coaches listed ahead of him? He does not have a star quarterback to lean on.

Bettors can score favorable +350 odds on Vrabel at any of DraftKings, BetMGM or Borgata.

Bill Belichick — New England Patriots

Coach of the Year Odds: +4000

There is a pretty wide variance in terms of the NFL betting odds for Bill Belichick to win his fourth Coach of the Year Award. A few weeks ago, arguably the greatest coach in NFL history was considered one of the favorites for his work in turning around the Patriots with a rookie QB under center. Now that New England appears destined for a Wild Card as opposed to the AFC East Division title, Belichick has lost some steam in the COTY odds. 

The best price on Belichick is currently 40-1 and is exclusive to FanDuel. He is listed at half that value at DraftKings and is also 30-1 elsewhere.

Nick Sirianni — Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +4000

Perhaps the most surprising name with a legitimate shot at winning Coach of the Year is Nick Sirianni. Little to none was expected out of the Eagles this season. Even with a very poor passing quarterback in Jalen Hurts, Sirianni has managed to lead Philadelphia to the postseason. Making the accomplishment all the more impressive is that it is his first year on the job. It’s rare that a rookie head coach takes home COTY honors, but Sirianni certainly has a real case.

Each of FanDuel, BetMGM and Borgata currently list Sirianni’s Coach of the Year odds at +4000. Bettors should avoid DraftKings where the value is slightly diminished at 35-1.

Frank Reich — Indianapolis Colts

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +5000

Prior to Week 17, Frank Reich was this week’s version of Zac Taylor. After his shorthanded Colts took down the Arizona Cardinals in primetime on Christmas, Reich’s COTY odds plummeted down to be included among the betting favorites. Well, his campaign took a hit this past week as Indianapolis suffered an upset loss of their own and failed to clinch their playoff berth. While the Colts should ultimately be among the AFC playoff teams, the push for both Reich and MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor to receive recognition has all but fizzled out.

The best value on Frank Reich to receive NFL Coach of the Year honors can be found at both DraftKings and FanDuel. The 50-1 price offers 15 units of additional value compared to the +3500 found elsewhere in the market.

Kliff Kingsbury — Arizona Cardinals

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +5000

The Cardinals were the last team to lose a game this season and were atop the NFC standings at 10-2 just one month ago. A three-game losing streak followed, and although Arizona picked up an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys last week, the case for Kliff Kingsbury to win Coach of the Year has likely been closed. Then again, if the Cardinals somehow manage to overtake the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West Division title in Week 18, perhaps Kingsbury will remain in consideration.

All sportsbooks in the NFL betting market list Kingsbury’s COTY odds at 50-1.

Rich Bisaccia — Las Vegas Raiders

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +5000

The fact that interim Raiders coach Rich Bisaccia has even an outside shot at winning Coach of the Year is incredible. Perhaps even more incredible is the job he has done in keeping Las Vegas on course through what has been a tumultuous season both on and off the field. The fact that he took over for Jon Gruden after a few games will undoubtedly hurt his chances. Nonetheless, Bisaccia deserves all kinds of credit for the job he has done in the face of chaos.

DraftKings is actually the only sportsbook currently listing odds on Bisaccia to win Coach of the Year. While it is unlikely that he earns the award, there will certainly be a case if the Raiders win their season-finale and make the playoffs.

Sean McVay — Los Angeles Rams

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +10000

Of all the coaches listed among the NFL betting odds to win COTY, Sean McVay has the greatest price disparity. A win or a Cardinals loss in Week 18 will clinch the NFC West Division title for the Rams. Despite losing multiple key players to injuries, McVay and L.A. continue to find ways to win games. Winning what was easily the toughest division in football would certainly be a feather in his cap.

Bettors should be very careful and selective in where they wager on McVay’s Coach of the Year odds. While the best value exists at FanDuel in the form of 100-1 odds, the 2017 COTY winner is priced as low as 40-1 elsewhere.

Mike McCarthy — Dallas Cowboys

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +10000

Let’s be real here: the Cowboys winning the NFC East Division has nothing to do with the coaching job of Mike McCarthy. It has everything to do with Dallas easily being the most talented team in the division. McCarthy was a hot name in the Coach of the Year odds early in the season. As time has gone on, he has been unable to hide his inner doofus. With the Cowboys out of the running to land the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, McCarthy is not worth a bet even at FanDuel’s 100-1 price.

Brandon Staley — Los Angeles Chargers

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +10000

The preseason Coach of the Year betting favorite has experienced a massive fall from grace. In fact, Brandon Staley and the Chargers might not even make the playoffs! Going for it on fourth down may appease the liberal masses on Twitter, but it simply isn’t always the best decision. Staley’s current COTY odds range from 100-1 at BetMGM and Borgata to as low as 80-1 at DraftKings.

Andy Reid — Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Coach of the Year Odds: +10000

Despite all of the success Andy Reid has had as the head man in Kansas City, his only previous Coach of the Year Award came back in 2002 while with the Eagles. The job done by Reid and his staff to get the Chiefs back on track after a slow start this season certainly deserves praise. However, a sixth-straight AFC West Division title was expected. Furthermore, the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs was expected. After last week’s loss to Cincinnati (and the referees if we’re being honest), the Chiefs will likely be stuck playing in the Wild Card Round. Failure to exceed lofty expectations results in Reid having long 100-1 COTY odds across the NFL betting market.