The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the reigning Super Bowl Champions heading into the 2021 NFL season. With veteran quarterback Tom Brady still under center, they are also set as +300 favorites to win the NFC this season to get the chance to defend that NFL title.
Betting against Brady has been costly in the past, but at the age of 44 (as of Aug. 3), there is only so much gas left in the tank. Tampa Bay exceeded expectations with last year’s Super Bowl run, and repeating that kind of performance is typically very hard to do when you are already at the top of the hill.
The best value on BetOnline’s’ NFL futures board to win the NFC could be the Los Angeles Rams at +700 betting odds. This team is just a few years removed from a conference championship and poised to climb back on top this year.
A bad break ended running back Cam Akers’ season before it even got started with a torn Achilles. However, the big story for this team is veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford assuming the starting role for Jared Goff through an offseason trade.
If Stafford can play to form with his new offense, the Rams would most likely be the team to beat in the NFC. Many of the other pieces remain in place from last season’s jump to 10-6.
The NFC West could be the most competitive division race in the conference this season, with the San Francisco 49ers also set as +700 second-favorites to win the NFC. They will compete directly against the Rams for a division title, with each team set as a +205 favorite to win the NFC West.
The big question mark surrounding San Francisco is at the quarterback position. Coming off a 6-10 record in 2020, Jimmy Garoppolo is still in place as the starter. The 49ers used the third overall pick of this year’s draft to select Trey Lance (North Dakota State) as the future franchise quarterback.
That situation alone drains some of the value in these odds. If Garoppolo gets off to a slow start, he will already be looking over his shoulders to keep his job. This type of situation has proven to be a significant distraction over the years.
Moving down the board, the Minnesota Vikings are next at +1100, followed by the Green Bay Packers at +1200 odds. The betting odds to win the NFL North Division title are “off the board” right now due to the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers as Green Bay’s long-time starting quarterback.
The latest rumor has Rodgers sitting out the 2021 season through an early retirement in an effort to move on from Green Bay. If you believe that Rodgers is coming back as the Packers’ QB this season, there is some excellent value in their odds. However, this could be a case of where there is smoke; there is fire to signal the end of his future Hall of Fame career in Green Bay
.
The Seattle Seahawks are still in the mix for the NFC West title, and they have +1200 odds to win the NFC. The Dallas Cowboys appear to be the best the NFC East has to offer this season as +150 favorites to win that division. Their betting odds to win the conference championship have been set at +1400 along with the New Orleans Saints.
