John Harbaugh Given Best Odds to Win NFL Coach of the Year; Shanahan & McDermott Close Behind

• John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to an NFL-best 14-2 record
• The Buffalo Bills lost three of their last four games, which will likely cost Sean McDermott a shot at the award
• The San Francisco 49ers also slumped down the stretch of the season, which will hurt Kyle Shanahan’s chances

John Harbaugh has led the Baltimore Ravens on a banner campaign as the team set a franchise record with 14 wins. Harbaugh is now the favorite in the latest Coach of the Year odds.

Is he the best bet or is someone like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan or Buffalo’s Sean McDermott better wagering value at longer odds?

NFL Coach of the Year Odds

Odds as of Jan. 3, 2020.

Will Jackson Help Or Hurt Harbaugh?

With the NFL’s end-of-the-year awards, it’s always tough to gauge what goes through the voters’ minds. On one hand, Harbaugh led the Ravens to a 14-2 record, a new franchise-high, and set an all-time record for team rushing yards in a season. They are sending 12 players to the Pro Bowl and had four tabbed as First-Team All-Pros.

At the same time, some voters may feel that it’s Lamar Jackson who deserves the bulk of the credit here. Jackson is a heavy NFL MVP favorite and he’s been an unstoppable force, finishing first in QBR while producing 4,333 yards and 43 touchdowns in 15 games.

At the end of the day, Harbaugh should get credit, too, as he has helped nurture and develop Jackson. Harbaugh has made numerous gutsy play-calls throughout the year – especially on fourth downs – and also oversaw the defense’s turnaround midseason. Harbaugh will be tough to beat for this prop.

Bills’ Sluggish Finish Crosses McDermott Off The List

One of the reasons I’m not expecting Buffalo Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott to be in the mix here is because of how the Bills finished. Sure, he led the team to its first ten-win campaign since 1999 and just its second playoff berth in that span. But his accolades don’t matchup with Harbaugh’s.

Buffalo finished the year with losses in three of its final four games, which is going to keep McDermott out of the running. The Bills beat up on a soft schedule throughout the year and had opportunities late in the season to get a statement win. Buffalo’s languid finish dropped McDermott, who was the favorite to win this award at one point, down the list.

The Bills ended the year with losses to the Ravens at home and New England Patriots on the road. On top of that, they lost in Week 17 to the New York Jets while resting many starters, and while that shouldn’t really count in terms of McDermott’s overall body of work, it does impact their record. McDermott is not a good value bet here.

Shanahan Also Impacted By 49ers Fading

San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan had a great case to win this award throughout the year. He was the preseason favorite and, for a large part of the season, looked like the expected winner. The issue is that, while the 49ers started 9-0, they were a different team in the second half and that’s likely to cost Shanahan.

The 49ers finished the season just 5-3 in their final eight games and didn’t look as dominant. Each of their three losses came on the last play of the game, but losing at home to the Atlanta Falcons – in any fashion – is not a good look. They even struggled with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

Beyond that, the 49ers also lost in their head-to-head meeting with the Ravens, which is one more tick in Harbaugh’s column.

What’s The Best Bet?

While he was as long as +2800 to win Coach of the Year at one point, I’d have a tough time seeing anyone other than Harbaugh win this award. The Ravens ended the year on a 12-game winning streak, posted the best record in the NFL, have the expected MVP and 12 Pro Bowlers. Harbaugh also has head-to-head wins against his chief competitors.

Pick: Harbaugh (+100)