Before he gets the Blazin’ 5 fires burning, Colin Cowherd makes season-long predictions. Last year, Cowherd picked the Philadelphia Eagles to win the NFC East (they didn’t). This year, his expectations are flipped. Cowherd expects the Eagles to finish 3-14 which would put them tied with the Houston Texans for the worst record in the NFL. Ouch.
He doesn’t expect much out of the Pittsburgh Steelers, either, as he sees an 8-9 record and no playoffs.
“When legendary quarterback go into their last year, and I think this could be Ben’s last year, it generally doesn’t end well,” said Cowherd. “I feel like the Steelers have wasted so many years. There were opportunities in the AFC. The years of Pittsburgh winning that division and championships are over.”
Is Colin Cowherd a sports betting svengali or is he about as accurate as a $5 fortune teller on the Atlantic City boardwalk? Last year, he was below-average, correctly picking three of eight of the division champs and two of the six wild card teams. Some of his other forecasts fell flat especially when he predicted the Ravens to go undefeated, the Steelers to go 7-9, and the Eagles to win the NFC.
Here are his bold predictions for the 2021 NFL season.
Colin Cowherd’s AFC Predictions
Cowherd’s thoughts on team records and final standings. Also followed by favorite to win the division at BetMGM pa sportsbook.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills 12-5
- New England Patriots 11-6
- Miami Dolphins 10-7
- New York Jets 5-12
Favorite at BetMGM: Bills -150
AFC North
- Cleveland Browns 11-6
- Baltimore Ravens 10-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers 8-9
- Cincinnati Bengals 6-11
Favorite: Ravens +115
AFC South
- Indianapolis Colts 10-7
- Tennessee Titans 8-9
- Jacksonville Jaguars 4-13
- Houston Texans 3-14
Favorite: Titans -110
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs 12-5
- Los Angeles Chargers 10-7
- Denver Broncos 8-9
- Las Vegas Raider 7-10
Favorite: Chiefs -275
Cowherd’s hot takes on the AFC
“Moving the Patriots from 10 to 12 wins.”
“I do not think Carson Wentz plays 17 games. I think he plays 13 or 14 and I worry about him and Eric Fisher at left tackle. They had a weird camp with weird vaccination stories. They are my best team in this division but I have my doubts about Wentz staying healthy.”
“You bet big when you want to win big. I generally play $10 bucks a hand but I know I’m not coming out of there buying a Bentley. The Dolphins are reportedly the front runners for Desean Watson….they are telling you that Tua is a $10 bet at the blackjack table. They don’t think they can win big with Tua.”
“Zach Wilson will finish in last place and struggle. He’s in the toughest situation.”
AFC Playoff predictions
- Chiefs
- Bills
- Browns
- Colts
- Patriots (Wild Card)
- Ravens (Wild Card)
- Chargers (Wild Card)
Colin Cowherd’s NFC Predictions
NFC East
- Washington Football Team 10-7
- Dallas Cowboys 9-8
- New York Giants 7-10
- Philadelphia Eagles 3-14
Favorite: Cowboys +135
NFC North
- Green Bay Packers 10-7
- Minnesota Vikings 9-8
- Chicago Bears 7-10
- Detroit Lions 4-13
Favorite: Packers -165
NFC South
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-4
- Atlanta Falcons 9-8
- New Orleans Saints 8-9
- Carolina Panthers 8-9
Favorite: Buccaneers -200
NFC West
- Seattle Seahawks 12-5
- Los Angeles Rams 11-6
- San Francisco 49ers 9-8
- Arizona Cardinals 8-9
Favorite: Rams +190
Playoff predictions
- Buccaneers
- Seahawks
- Packers
- Washington
- Rams
- 49ers
- Cowboys
Cowherd’s hot takes on the NFC
- “Everybody has a team they like more than the gambling community. I like Washington. Four first rounders on the front line. It’s a weaker division. Of course I worry about Fitzpatrick but there is something called a trading deadline.”
- “Here’s what Vegas thinks of Matt Stafford.…Vegas has the Lions over/under at 5. Not a half game better with Jared Goff. The Rams won ten games last year with Goff. The Rams over/under with Stafford is 10.5. Vegas does not buy Matt Stafford as a savior.
- “I can’t get past the Giants offensive line. It’s bad. I think the Giants offensive line unravels an otherwise pretty darn good roster.”
- Jimmy Garoppolo has lost his confidence: “I think the game is in his head right now and I don’t know if it’s solvable. It wasn’t for Carson Wentz until he went to Indianapolis.
Colin Cowherd’s 2021 NFL Wish List
Love him, and you hope that Colin gets everything on his list like Veruca Salt. Hate him, and you’re waiting for the oompa loompas to have a number prepared when each one fails. Colin Cowherd put out his Wish List for the things he wants to see happen this season.
1. Sam Darnold to flourish.
“No QB in the league has played with fewer Pro Bowlers than Sam Darnold. I root for young people who got a series of dysfunctional bad breaks entering the league.”
2. Justin Fields to succeed in Chicago
“It’s a great sports city and they’ve never had a quarterback who has thrown for 4,000 yards.”
3. Joe Burrow to stay healthy
“Like Darnold, I’ve never seen a young QB take a beating like Burrow. If you aren’t rooting for Burrow you don’t have a heart. This kid got crushed last year and then he had an awful injury.”
4. Eagles to implode
“I’m rooting for the Eagles to absolutely implode. I don’t like meddling bosses. Doug Pederson arguably out coached Belichick in the Super Bowl…they leak stuff, and treat him like garbage. After games on Monday the owner would reportedly come in and tell him what plays to run. A brutal situation. Carson Wentz…they leaked he was a bad guy. Every source I have said they never heard that. I believe Pederson is a good coach and Wentz is a good quarterback. Jalen Hurts found out last year when they pulled him late in the season. I root against meddling dysfunctional organizations and the Eagles are a mess.”
5. Packers to make the playoffs
“It’s good for Fox and my company. But I want to see them go on a little bit of a losing streak in November. It is great theater.”
Lead photo from The Herd