Perfection in the form of an undefeated regular season is a great goal to work towards. Many NFL teams and players will say that is precisely what they do. While they will likely not achieve perfection, by working towards it, excellence is often achieved.
More often than not, excellence is all that is needed to win the Super Bowl—not perfection. But that doesn’t stop fans from thinking and hoping their team will be perfect ad go undefeated. Since it has only happened twice, an undefeated regular season is almost on par with a mythical creature– like a unicorn.
Who does not love unicorns?
However, just because we like the unicorn/idea of an undefeated regular season, doesn’t mean we should expect to see one happen. According to the odds at Bovada.lv, there will probably not be one this season:
- Will A Team Go 16-0 In The Regular Season?
- Yes +1000
- No -5000
By these odds, there is a 9.09 percent chance someone has an undefeated regular season and a 98.04 percent chance no one does. When you consider all the different variables that go into a team winning one game, winning all 16 is close to impossible.
The odds are even longer for a team to go undefeated through the playoffs, as well:
- Will A Team Go 19-0 In The 2020-2021 Season?
- Yes +2000
- No -10000
That translates into a 4.76 percent chance of success and a 99.01 percent chance of failure. Since only one team has had a perfect season and only one other has come close, this sounds about right? So, then how come we even discuss the possibility of either scenario happening?
Easy—because we want to see it happen, and since teams come close to having undefeated regular seasons, we like to think it will. Last season saw the Baltimore Ravens come close with a 14-2 record. But both losses came early in the season, one to the Chiefs in Week Three and a baffling loss to the Browns in Week Four.
The Browns game is a perfect example of how perfect seasons are ruined. For one game, a great team makes every mistake in the book, while a not-so-good team brings its A+ game. But with how the rest of the regular season played out, it is not hard to make a case for them to get it done this year:
- Baltimore Ravens To Go 16-0 In The Regular Season?
- Yes +2800
- No -10000
With Tom Brady now in charge of the Buccaneers offense, some fans believe Tampa Bay could be the team to beat. However, oddsmakers seem to have taken Brady’s age and the holes in the Buccaneers rosters into consideration with their odds:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers To Go 16-0 In The Regular Season?
- Yes +7500
- No -10000
So—how should you bet?
More than likely, no one is going to find the necessary magic to go undefeated in the regular season and through the playoffs. Four teams lost three games or fewer last year and could have a shot if they stay healthy this year.
But don’t risk much if you do decide to put money down here.
As for the Ravens and Buccaneers, on paper, the Ravens look like they could do it, but I have a hard time believing in a run-dominant team going undefeated in the passing era. Tampa Bay could be worth putting a little down on since the payout would be significant. But don’t bet anything you can’t afford
