What do the Houston Texans’ odds look like to win Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., in February of 2021?
According to BetMGM, the Texans have the same 30 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl next season as the Cleveland Browns.
That’s right: odds-makers believe that the AFC South champions for the past two seasons have the same odds to win the Super Bowl in 2021 as an AFC North ne’er-do-well that will be debuting a rookie coach in Kevin Stefanski with first-year general manager Andrew Berry making personnel moves the whole offseason.
Could the odds be an indictment of Texans coach Bill O’Brien? Possibly. Consider that the Dallas Cowboys, who faded to an 8-8 finish, have to re-sign quarterback Dak Prescott and make decisions on free agents Amari Cooper and Byron Jones have better odds at 20 to 1. What is the difference? Dallas hired a proven coach in Super Bowl-winner Mike McCarthy. That isn’t to say that McCarthy will out-coach O’Brien in 2020, but it is to point out that skins on the wall matter when odds-makers are forecasting future champions.
The Kansas City Chiefs are favorites to repeat at 6.5 to 1, and the Baltimore Ravens are second with 7 to 1 odds. The Tennessee Titans have 25 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl, the best among AFC South clubs.
Bringing up the rear is Washington with 150 to 1 odds, the Bengals and Dolphins with 100 to 1 odds, and the Jaguars, Lions, and Cardinals with 80 to 1 odds.
The fact is every team, bad odds or great odds, will have to get through the offseason schedule of free agency, the draft, and offseason workouts that provide a surprise injury or two. Speaking of injuries, the attrition of training camp and preseason can have an affect on the health of a September 53-man roster. If the Texans have the same odds as the Browns to win the Super Bowl come September, that could be a problem.