Don’t look now, but the NFL Coach of the Year race is heating up.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell opened as the betting favorite to win the award before the season kicked off at +850. With the Lions an impressive 9-3 and on top of the NFC North, his COY odds have shortened even further to +200.
Behind Campbell on the oddsboard is Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. His odds of winning the award were +2200 before the season kicked off. Now that the Texans are 7-5 — largely due to the play of C.J. Stroud — those odds have come all the way down to +250.
One name bettors are eagerly watching is Indianapolis‘ Shane Steichen whose odds to win Coach of the Year were +1000 before the season started. Now those odds have shortened to +700 as the Colts are on a four-game winning streak. That winning streak came immediately after the team’s three-straight losses to the Jaguars, Browns and Saints.
Indy’s recent win streak has Shane rising up the oddsboard. Let’s take a closer look at the Coach of the Year odds for all the contenders.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR ODDS*
Dan Campbell, Lions: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
DeMeco Ryans, Texans: +230 (bet $10 to win $33 total)
Mike McDaniel, Dolphins: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Shane Steichen, Colts: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Matt LeFleur, Packers: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Mike Tomlin, Steelers: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
John Harbaugh, Ravens: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Nick Sirianni, Eagles: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Kevin Stefanski, Browns: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Sean Payton, Broncos: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Mike McCarthy, Cowboys: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
*odds as of 12/6/2023
On a recent episode of the NFL on FOX Podcast, NFL Insider Dave Helman praised Steichen.
“This week’s coaching spotlight is Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen whose Colts now share the longest winning streak in the NFL at four after they escaped Nashville with an overtime-win over the Titans,” Helman noted.
“In December, here are the Colts, 7-5, right in the thick of the wild card hunt.”
One coach whose odds fell after rising up the oddsboard is Sean Payton.
His odds were +1600 last week, but the Broncos fell 22-17 in Week 13 and Payton’s odds to win the award lengthened to +3000.
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So, which coach will walk away with the trophy? For that, we turned to FOX Sports NFL analyst Geoff Schwartz.
Editor’s Note: Expert’s picks made prior to the start of the 2023 NFL season
Pick via FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz:
Mike McDaniel, Dolphins
The Dolphins second-year head coach is a perfect candidate for this award. McDaniel’s Dolphins team will win games if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy. When Tua started and finished the game, the Dolphins were 8-4 last season. Assuming he’s healthier than last season, the Dolphins should get into the 10-win range.
If you include their improvements on defense — including the addition of Jalen Ramsey and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio — the Dolphins could win the division. If the Dolphins can pull off a division win with Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen on rival squads, plus a Patriots team with a competent offense, all the praise will be heaped onto McDaniel.
His lively interactions with the media can also help McDaniel win this award. His viral sound bites often show how much media members like him. Those are all factors when humans are voting for this award.
At these odds, he is worth a sprinkle.
PICK: Mike McDaniel (+2200 at time of pick) to win Coach of the Year
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