NFL Betting 2021: The Teams That Could Sink This Season

With the NFL draft finished up and the schedule released, all eyes are on the season ahead. Due to get started on 9 September with the kickoff game between the Buccaneers and the Cowboys, everything is lining up nicely.

However, NFL betting is already limbering up with early predictions about the performance. While some teams are tipped for the top, others are expected to sink in 2021 and fail to match their 2020 score.

Here’s a look at four teams who are scoring pretty low in the current NFL public betting.

This might be a surprising pick as some have tipped the Dolphins to do well this season - but not everyone is in agreement. 

Much depends on whether they pick Tua Tagovailoa, the controversial Miami quarterback. So far, he hasn't shown the form that the Dolphins expected when they drafted him, and that's not entirely due to the hip injury he suffered in 2020. Just a few days ago, Tagovailoa admitted that he didn't know the playbook well, an astonishing admission. He insists he's now put that right and feels "more comfortable", but this might not be enough for him to find the kind of form the Dolphins need. 

On the flip side, if Tagovailoa is benched and Miami manage to pull off a coup for Deshaun Watson, their star could quickly rise. Watson slapped in a trade request in January, but the Houston Texans have resisted all overtures so far. The Dolphins have made their interest clear and might just go back for another attempt before Week 1.

In the draft, the Bears pulled off a blinder, sacrificing their future first-round pick for signing star quarterback Justin Fields. There's no question that Fields will make an impact at Chicago and could make a real difference on the field over the next five years. However, with all three quarterbacks expecting a place in the starting line-up, things are more than a bit jumbled at the Bears right now. Factor in the weaker defence, and it starts to become clear it's not the finished article just yet. 

The stats also are stacked up against them. Despite making the playoffs last season, they won six games by fewer than seven points. Historically, teams with this record have performed poorly; just four from 34 teams with the same stats went on to improve the following season. The vast majority went south, dropping on average 2.4 wins. And when you consider the middle section of the Bears' schedule, with games against titans Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, it's not difficult to see where they could struggle.

The final six games of Pittsburgh's 2020/2021 season were a revealing indicator of how things are likely to go in the future. And let's not even mention the playoff game against Cleveland, which couldn't have been more one-sided if they'd spent the whole game on the bench… Since being at the club, Mike Tomlin has done a great job, but he simply hasn't got the players to deliver his preferred tactics.

Drafting running back Najee Harris means they've picked up a phenomenal player - but it's not exactly what was needed. The defence is poor and in need of bolstering, while the quarterback isn't a spring chicken. Add to this a poor overall offence, and you have a recipe for a disastrous season ahead.