Tom Brady’s move to the NFC has led to a massive shift in the betting odds to win the NFC. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t made it to the postseason since 2007, but they are suddenly one of the favorites to win the conference after going 7-9 last year. Brady might be just the right tonic that this team needs to get over the hump after Jameis Winston threw 30 interceptions in 2019, so the Bucs are seen as the most likely team to challenge New Orleans and San Francisco for supremacy in the conference.
New Orleans Saints +430
San Francisco 49ers +435
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +590
Seattle Seahawks +875
Philadelphia Eagles +930
Dallas Cowboys +1000
Green Bay Packers +1165
Los Angeles Rams +1550
Minnesota Vikings +1600
Chicago Bears +2150
Arizona Cardinals +2800
Atlanta Falcons +2800
Detroit Lions +4500
New York Giants +5500
Carolina Panthers +7500
Washington Redskins +14000
The Saints are the favorite to win the NFC despite failing to advance out of the Wild Card Round last year. New Orleans was a heavy favorite per the NFL betting odds in the Superdome against the Minnesota Vikings, but Kirk Cousins had an excellent game and the Vikings pulled off the upset in overtime.
Drew Brees and Michael Thomas are the most lethal passing tandem in the NFL, and Sean Payton will ensure that this offense is one of the best in the league once again in 2020. The defense should be much better too as Marcus Davenport returns from injury and Cameron Jordan and Marshon Lattimore are two of the best players at their positions in the league.
Kyle Shanahan must think he is cursed. After seeing Atlanta blow the biggest lead in Super Bowl history a few years ago, he appeared to have San Francisco poised to win its sixth Super Bowl title in February. However, the 49ers blew a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, allowing 21 fourth quarter points to the Chiefs. He has now been outscored 46-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime of two Super Bowls, and that failure to win it all is part of the reason why San Francisco is behind New Orleans.
This defense is still the class of the NFC though. San Francisco dealt DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis for a first-round pick, but the Niners still have Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, and Nick Bosa to pressure the quarterback and an excellent back seven. That puts the onus on the offense, as teams dared Jimmy Garoppolo to beat the through the air as the season progressed.
Tampa Bay has a lot of talent for Brady to throw to at receiver, and the front seven is excellent. The Buccaneers are great at stuffing the run with Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea up front, and Devin White and Shaquil Barrett are an intimidating pair of linebackers. Unfortunately, the secondary is still something of a mess, so this the Buccaneers might need Brady to lead them to shootout wins.
Seattle is the team most likely to regress in 2020. The Seahawks finished last season with a point differential of +7 despite an 11-5 record, and this defense is not what it was a couple seasons ago. They were 26th in the NFL in total defense, and the expected loss of Jadeveon Clowney will be a lot for this unit to overcome.
Dallas and Philadelphia are close to co-favorites in the NFC East, but this division has underwhelmed in recent years. The Cowboys long underachieved under Jason Garrett, while injuries continue to decimate the Eagles at the most inopportune times. One of these teams should win the division given the state of the Giants and the Eagles, but that’s not a glowing review.
If you’re looking for a team with value as a bit of a longshot, take a long look at the Bears. Chicago still has one of the best five defenses in the NFL, and the NFC North is wide open. Nick Foles was acquired from Jacksonville to replace Mitch Trubisky if he continues to underwhelm, and Foles has plenty of experience in Matt Nagy’s system from their time in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
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