There’s something you don’t see very day. Dennis Allen didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first year as New Orleans Saints head coach, though his 7-10 finish nearly matched his three-year win total with the Raiders a decade ago (8-28). Now he has the same Coach of the Year odds as three-time award winner Bill Belichick at DraftKings Sportsbook, both sitting at +2500. That means a $100 wager would return a $2,600 payout.
That matches what you’ll see from other notable coaches around the league, like Mike Tomlin, Kevin Stefanski, Zac Taylor, Brandon Staley, Shane Steichen, and Pete Carroll. Ten coaches have better odds than this group, including ex-Saints head coach Sean Payton (who is a betting favorite at +900; a $100 slip would cash out $1,000). Why is someone with Belichick’s resume in this kind of company?
To be frank, the New England Patriots haven’t been the same since Tom Brady left town. Belichick’s team has only posted a single winning record in the last three years and young quarterback Mac Jones hasn’t developed as hoped under his tutelage. They’re in an even more precarious position than the Saints in a tough division with little margin for error.
Back to the Saints. Allen is facing a make-or-break scenario with New Orleans pushing all their chips in on his vision for the team. They’ve built an offense around Derek Carr and paired him with the best defense he’s ever seen in the NFL. With the rest of the NFC South actively rebuilding and not looking competitive in 2023, there won’t be any excuses if Allen posts another losing record. If he leads the Saints somewhere special, well: maybe he’ll look like a fitting recipient of that Coach of the Year award after all.
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