- Raheem Morris (+700) is favored to win the Coach of the Year award in his first year with the Falcons
- Jim Harbaugh (+1000) hopes to turnaround the Chargers after winning a national championship with Michigan
- The 2024 NFL regular season begins with the reigning champion Chiefs hosting the Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5
DeMeco Ryans was named the 2023 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Houston Texans to their first playoff berth since 2019 and improving their win total by six victories over the previous season.
Which coach will lead their franchise to a similar turnaround this year? Before we examine the latest odds for the award, check out the top betting sites for NFL football and the Best Super Bowl 59 Betting Sites 2024.
2024 NFL Coach of the Year
Morris opens as the favorite
Raheem Morris (+700) is in the enviable position of replacing Internet punching bag Arthur Smith. However, the Falcons won seven games in 2024 and don’t have the necessary talent (on defense, especially) to boost their win total enough to meet award criteria. Over the past decade, the average Coach of the Year winner’s team has racked up 5.2 more victories than the previous campaign.
Furthermore, oddsmakers have set Atlanta’s win total at 9.5 wins. That doesn’t bode well for Morris given that seven of the past 11 COY winners have won at least 4.5 games more than expected.
Matt Eberflus: Good to see Caleb Williams’s hard work pay off https://t.co/Nt7eklFmDn
— Opening Day Game (@OpeningDayNFL) August 11, 2024
Other Coach of the Year contenders
Matt Eberflus (+800) led the Bears to seven Ws last year and oddsmakers have their win total locked in at 8.5. Even with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at the helm, Chicago will be hard pressed to sniff 12 victories in a loaded division.
With his Packers coming off a 9-8 campaign and projected for 9.5 wins, Matt Lafleur (+1200) is also facing an uphill climb to capture the award. That said, Green Bay has the talent to unseat the Lions in the NFC North and challenge for the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Jim Harbaugh?
Jim Harbaugh (+1000) has an excellent chance to lead the Chargers to four or five more wins than last year’s 5-12 disaster season under Brandon Staley. However, oddsmakers have already expressed confidence in the Michigan man by giving the Bolts a 8.5 win total.
Anthony Richardson’s return has Colts fans buzzing, but Shane Steichen (+1400) could be a victim of his own success after leading the Colts to a five-win improvement in his first year at the helm.
Finebaum blasts ‘laughable’ NCAA for Jim Harbaugh suspension – via @ESPN App https://t.co/ut5oQGgesM
— Scorpion (@EvilFlameThrow) August 12, 2024
Best Longshots
Jonathan Gannon (+1800) only won four games in his first season on the sidelines in Arizona. With a healthy Kyler Murray at the helm, a nine win season isn’t out of the question for the Cardinals.
Dan Quinn (+1800) could follow in DeMeco Ryan’s footsteps if his Heisman Trophy-winning QB, Jayden Daniels, can replicate C.J. Stroud’s rookie season success. Washington’s win total is set at 6.5 after a sad 4-13 mark in 2023.
Kevin O’Connell (+2000) will get full credit if the Vikings can successfully move on from the Kirk Cousins era and make the postseason in the loaded NFC North with a QB combo of Sam Darnold and JJ McCarthy.
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