Surprising 2024 Coach Of The Year Data For Jim Harbaugh

BetMGM Data

Any seasoned sports bettor knows that looking at the betting data is a critical part of any handicap, as you don't usually want to be on a bet that the sportsbook has a large liability on. After all, casinos keep being built in Vegas, and it isn't because they are losing money. We get this data from BetMGM on certain markets, which tells us where the money and bets are going. After getting some updated information this week, I thought the Coach of the Year market was very interesting.

Right now, no coach in the NFL is getting more money than new Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh to win the award in his first year at the helm. Per BetMGM, 16.6% of the total handle in the market is on Harbaugh, whose odds are also very intriguing. Despite all of that money on him, his odds have actually moved in the opposite direction you might think. He was +550 before the draft but has since moved to 10/1. Clearly, the book don't seem to be worried as much about him.

However, the book is quite worried about Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions head coach. He was 22/1 before the draft and has moved down to 20/1. He also has the most total tickets of anyone in the market, with 16.3% of total bets going to him. While he has a lower total handle than Harbaugh at 13.8%, his big plus money odds have made him the biggest liability for the book. AKA, don't bet on Dan Campbell to win the award now.

The EberTRUTH?

One other data point that stood out to me is that, despite being on the coaching hot seat all last season, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is the odds-on favorite to win the award this season. He was 18/1 before the draft, then after Caleb Williams was selected, he has flown down the board to just 9/1. Perhaps that is giving him a bit too much credit, as Williams is still a rookie QB, but the reasoning is there. This award is usually won by a coach who brings his team from worst to first, and with the amount of overall talent that the Bears have, it isn't out of the question that could happen.

However, he is getting 9.8% of the tickets and only 8.2% of the handle, so I would probably stay away.

Best Bet

Harbaugh is certainly a good play, getting only 8.9% of tickets but 16.6% of the money. Another guy that stands out is Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders, who has moved from 28/1 to 25/1 recently, while also getting 6.2% of tickets and 9.3% of the money.