In every NFL season, there is a best team. They are showered with praise and fame, but while winners are glorified there has to be some losers. The worst of the losers is often forgotten, but for bettors hitting the NFL’s worst regular season record can pay off big.
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Which team will take home the cake this year? There are plenty of possibilities. Here’s a look at the 2021 NFL worst regular season record odds and picks.
Check out our 2021 NFL best regular season record predictions.
Houston Texans Favored to Have the Worst Record
The Houston Texans are a train wreck. Former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien made some head scratching moves and now the team is mired in the Deshaun Watson controversy. Houston won just four games last season and they are headed there once again.
First off, the Texans will play four games against Indianapolis and Tennessee, the two best teams in the AFC South. Then, there is the crossover where Houston gets the NFC West, arguably the best division in the NFL.
The Texans also get the AFC East which means games against Buffalo and Miami though they may have a shot at a win against the Jets. Houston will play the Browns and the Chargers, two teams that are on the rise.
If Houston wins two games, it might be a miracle. That’s why the Texans are the best bet at +175 to have the league’s worst record in 2021.
Most Likely Bottom Feeders
If the Texans are a train wreck, the Detroit Lions are an ongoing dumpster fire. Sure, they have a new head coach who is breathing some life into the program, but they’re still the Lions. Plus, they went 5-11 last year and that was with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Now, it will be Jared Goff.
Goff and the Lions will open the season with the 49ers then travel to Green Bay and then face the Baltimore Ravens. Can you say 0-3? It doesn’t get any better as there are games at the Rams, at the Steelers, at the Browns, and at the Seahawks.
Detroit hasn’t made that much of a splash in the offseason. With their schedule, they will be much like Houston. Two wins might put out some of the dumpster fire, but not all of it. Detroit at +300 is also a strong bet.
The Rest of the Contenders
The New York Jets (+700) have been awful for the past few years, but new head coach Robert Saleh might have something good going. He’ll start rookie QB Zach Wilson and the Jets will have the luxury of opening the season with Carolina, New England, and Denver, all winnable games.
The Bengals (+1000) are still building and if QB Joe Burrow can stay healthy, Cincy could win a handful of games. The same is true in Jacksonville (+1200) where new head coach Urban Meyer is probably worth two or three wins just by himself.
The real value on a longshot can be found further down the board. Quarterback play is the biggest indicator of a winning football team in the NFL. After that, it comes down to defense.
Carolina rolled the dice on Sam Darnold who has struggled with a sub-60 percent completion in three NFL seasons with the Jets. He had similar issues in college. That stuff just doesn’t fix itself when you get a new $18 million deal with a new team.
The Panthers can probably win four or five games, but if Christian McCaffrey gets hurt and/or the defense tanks, Carolina could be the worst team in the NFL. They are listed at +1600, but there is another team bettors should like even better.
Denver has struggled for years to find a quarterback that is even half of what Peyton Manning was. Drew Lock is not the answer. Yes, head coach Vic Fangio could have a pretty good defense, but last year his Broncos D ranked in the bottom third of most statistical categories.
If the Broncos start slow – they open with the Giants, Jaguars, and Jets – they are in for a world of hurt in 2021 making +2800 look like a pretty good bet.
Worst 2021 NFL Regular Season Record Futures Odds
Houston Texans +175
Detroit Lions +300
New York Jets +700
Cincinnati Bengals +1000
Jacksonville Jaguars +1200
Philadelphia Eagles +1200
Las Vegas Raiders +1400
Carolina Panthers +1600
Green Bay Packers +2500
New York Giants +2500
Chicago Bears +2800
Denver Broncos +2800
Washington Football Team +3300
Arizona Cardinals +5000
Atlanta Falcons +5000
Minnesota Vikings +5000
Pittsburgh Steelers +5000
Miami Dolphins +6600
New England Patriots +6600
New Orleans Saints +6600
Tennessee Titans +6600
Los Angeles Chargers +8000
San Francisco 49ers +8000
Dallas Cowboys +10000
Seattle Seahawks +10000
Cleveland Browns +15000
Indianapolis Colts +15000
Los Angeles Rams +15000
Baltimore Ravens +25000
Buffalo Bills +25000
Kansas City Chiefs +25000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +25000
Cash in big this season with these NFL handicappers.