NFL Futures Odds, 3/18/20 How Does Tom Brady Impact the NFC South Race?

Brady to Bucs: NFC South Latest Odds?

With Tom Brady’s decision to leave the Patriots and the AFC East, how does his signing with the Bucs impact the NFC South Division? For the Bucs, their odds improve significantly but what about the other three teams in the division?

Tampa Bay Bucs Latest Odds

Let’s start off with the Bucs, Brady’s new team. As our NFL Futures Odds page shows, Tampa opened as a 65/1 long shot to win the Super Bowl. Now that Brady is in the fold, the Bucs are now 18/1 to win the Lombardi Trophy according to oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com. Bruce Arians has worked wonders with top quarterbacks throughout his career, a list that includes Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh), Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) and Carson Palmer (Arizona). Arians didn’t win with Jameis Winston in Tampa last year, although the former first overall pick did throw 33 touchdown passes in the Bucs’ system a year ago. The problem was that Winston also threw 30 interceptions, whereas Brady has thrown 30 picks in his last 64 games combined, a stretch that dates back to 2015.

New Orleans Saints Latest Odds

The Saints opened with 12/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, but their odds have shifted to 15/1. Those odds make New Orleans the favorites to win the NFC South and pit the Saints versus the Bucs in what oddsmakers clearly expect to be only a two-team race. The biggest offseason news impacting the Saints was Drew Brees, who re-signed with the team for two years and $50 million. With Brees and coach Sean Payton at the helm, the Saints have won the NFC South Division each of the past three seasons, with 11-5, 13-3 and 13-3 seasons, respectively.

Atlanta Falcons Latest Odds

The Falcons’ Super Bowl odds have dropped significantly since oddsmakers released the NFL futures for 2021. Atlanta opened with 40/1 odds but the team is now 60/1 to win the 2021 Super Bowl. Brady joining the division certainly doesn’t help Atlanta’s chances for success, although it’s not as if oddsmakers liked the Falcons’ odds before the signing. In each of the last two seasons, Dan Quinn’s teams started slow only finish strong, although both years ended in similar fashion: with the Falcons missing the playoffs. Thus far, the team lost free agent Austin Hooper to the Browns, Vic Beasley to the Titans and West Schweitzer to the Redskins. The Falcons did replace Hooper with Hayden Hurst, although they paid a pretty penny, sending a second and fifth-round selections to the Ravens in the deal.

Carolina Panthers Latest Odds

Clearly in rebuild mode after firing Ron Rivera during the season and reportedly open to trading Cam Newton, the Panthers are 150/1 long shots to win the Super Bowl in 2021. Only the Redskins (250/1), Bengals (300/1) and Jaguars (300/1) have worst odds. Carolina hired former college coach Matt Rhule to rebuild the team and it’ll be interesting to see what the Panthers do in next month’s NFL draft now that they’re expected to move on from Newton. That said, they signed Teddy Bridgewater in free agency so Carolina isn’t guaranteed to take a quarterback with its first pick.