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Odds to Be the Highest Scoring Team in 2021 NFL Season – Chiefs Listed as Clear Favorites

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Jul 14, 2021 · 6:21 AM PDT

Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes warms up during the NFL football team's minicamp Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
  • The Kansas City Chiefs are the +500 favorites to be the NFL’s highest-scoring team during the 2021 season
  • Buffalo, last season’s top-scoring team, is the +900 third betting choice
  • KC is the only team to rate among the NFL’s top four scoring teams in each of the past four seasons

The Kansas City Chiefs figure to be coming back for the 2021 season with a huge chip on their shoulders. The Chiefs were dethroned as Super Bowl champions by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Is that going to be enough motivation to put KC over the top as the NFL’s highest-scoring team during the upcoming campaign? Oddsmakers think that it will.

Kansas City has been established as the +550 favorites to top the NFL in points during the 2021 regular season. The Chiefs were favored to win last season as well. However, they ended up as the league’s fifth-most potent offense in 2020, scoring 473 points.

2021 NFL Regular Season Highest Scoring Team Odds

Team Odds
Kansas City Chiefs +550
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +800
Buffalo Bills +900
Cleveland Browns +1400
Baltimore Ravens +1400
Los Angeles Rams +1400
San Francisco 49ers +1400
Dallas Cowboys +1400
Green Bay Packers +1600
Indianapolis Colts +1800
Seattle Seahawks +1800
Minnesota Vikings +1800
New Orleans Saints +2000
Los Angeles Chargers +2000
Arizona Cardinals +2200
Tennessee Titans +2500
Atlanta Falcons +2500
Pittsburgh Steelers +3000
Denver Broncos +3300
New England Patriots +3300
Miami Dolphins +3300
Las Vegas Raiders +3500
Carolina Panthers +4000
Washington Football Team +4000
New York Giants +5000
Philadelphia Eagles +5000
Chicago Bears +6600
Cincinnati Bengals +6600
Jacksonville Jaguars +10000
Detroit Lions +10000
New York Jets +15000
Houston Texans +20000

Odds as of July 14 at DraftKings

Can Chiefs Go for More?

Kansas City has proven to be the most consistently productive offense in the NFL for several seasons now. The Chiefs were the AFC’s third-most potent offense in 2020. KC scored 473 points, averaging 29.6 points per game.

In 2019, Kansas City scored 451 points, which put the Chiefs fifth overall in the NFL. In 2018, KC was atop the league, scoring 565 points. The 2017 season saw the Chiefs end up #6 in NFL scoring.

The question would seem to be, how much better can KC be? Both tight end Travis Kelce (11 touchdowns) and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (17 TDs) enjoyed monster years. Is each of them capable of matching that output? Can rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire increase his productivity above a disappointing rookie season that saw him find the end zone just five times?

Of course, the Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes under center. As long as Mahomes is at the helm, all things seem possible. However, there’s one caveat that could be a cause for concern. Over the last nine games of the 2020 campaign, KC got to 30 points in just three of them.

Last Five NFL Highest Scoring Teams

Year Team Points
2020 Green Bay Packers 509
2019 Baltimore Ravens 531
2018 Kansas City Chiefs 565
2017 Los Angeles Rams 478
2016 Atlanta Falcons 540

Buccaneers Have the Weapons

In both 2016 (441 points) and 2017 (458 points) Tom Brady’s New England Patriots were the AFC’s most potent offense. Yes, Brady is nearing the age of 44. That’s traditionally cause for concern.

Then again, look around the GOAT. He has Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones in his backfield. The Bucs added a legitimate third-down receiving threat out of the backfield in veteran Giovani Bernard. He could be the Tampa Bay version of what James White did with Brady for the Pats.

Brady can throw to wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and OJ Howard. This team is loaded with threats.

Cashing In On the Bills

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen stepped up among the elite last season. He led the Bills to an AFC-best 501 points. That was #2 in the NFL.

Interestingly, Allen turned in that monster year without a whole lot of support from the running game. The Bills were 20th in the NFL in rushing yardage (1,723) and 17th in rushing touchdowns (16). Allen accounted for 50% of those rushing TDs himself.

If running back Zack Moss can make significant upgrades on his rookie campaign (481 yards, four TDs), then the Bills could be in line to ring up a whole pile of points again this season.

Pick: Buffalo Bills (+900)

[crosspsot]

2021 NFL Regular Season Lowest Scoring Team Odds

Team Odds
Houston Texans +400
New York Jets +600
Detroit Lions +900
Jacksonville Jaguars +1000
Chicago Bears +1200
Cincinnati Bengals +1400
Philadelphia Eagles +1400
New York Giants +1400
Washington Football Team +1800
Carolina Panthers +2000
Denver Broncos +2000
New England Patriots +2000
Miami Dolphins +2000
Las Vegas Raiders +2200
Green Bay Packers +2500
Pittsburgh Steelers +2500
Atlanta Falcons +2800
Tennessee Titans +4000
Minnesota Vikings +4000
New Orleans Saints +4000
Los Angeles Chargers +4000
Baltimore Ravens +5000
Indianapolis Colts +5000
San Francisco 49ers +5000
Seattle Seahawks +5000
Arizona Cardinals +5000
Los Angeles Rams +6600
Cleveland Browns +8000
Dallas Cowboys +8000
Buffalo Bills +10000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +15000
Kansas City Chiefs +20000

Odds as of July 14th

New York, New York

The lowest-scoring team in the NFL last season was the New York Jets (243 points). The lowest-scoring team in the NFC was the New York Giants (280 points). Neither was favored to do so, however. That dishonor was saved for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jets were also the AFC’s lowest-scoring team in 2019 (267 points) as well. There’s a lot of hope being injected into the Jets fan base this season due to the arrival of head coach Robert Saleh, one of the most coveted coordinators in the NFL.

They also figure to be starting a rookie at QB this season in Zach Wilson. He’ll work with arguably the worst group of skill position players in the NFL.

The Jets have scored fewer than 300 points in five of the past six seasons seven out of the last nine.

Last Five NFL Lowest Scoring Teams

Year Team Points
2020 New York Jets 243
2019 Washington Football Team 266
2018 Arizona Cardinals 225
2017 Cleveland Browns 234
2016 Los Angeles Rams 224

What’s Up In Washington?

Only one other team has occupied one of the bottom places in NFL productivity in two of the past three seasons. That would be the Washington Football Team.

Yes, Washington made the playoffs last season. The Football Team still finished 25th in scoring (335 points).

QB Alex Smith, who recorded five of their seven wins, retired. That leaves either journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick or Taylor Heinicke at the helm of the offense.

They might need to send out a search party to find the end zone.

Pick: New York Jets (+600)

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