As training camp is just a few days away, anticipation is growing for the 2021 NFL season. It feels like it was ages ago when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55, so football fans have been doing what they can to distract themselves. That includes wagering on available markets. While a lot of these wagers are placed on futures, such as predicting who’ll win Super Bowl 56 or one of the individual awards, some have turned their attention to more unique markets.
Bovada has released odds on which quarterback will lead the 2021 NFL season in interceptions. At +700 odds, the sportsbook is favoring Carolina Panthers QB Sam Darnold to accomplish this unfortunate feat.
Darnold’s career didn’t start off how he envisioned it would. After being selected third overall by the New York Jets in 2018, the team didn’t really build a solid roster around the young signal-caller. This led to Darnold struggling and throwing 39 interceptions over the first three seasons of his career. Only four other quarterbacks have thrown more picks than that during that span, which makes sense as to why Bovada thinks he’ll lead that category in the 2021 NFL season.
Darnold was traded to the Panthers over the offseason and the organization is hoping that this will help turn his career around. Considering how the team’s starting QB last year, Teddy Bridgewater, threw for 11 interceptions in the same offense, Darnold could be in for a similar number — if not higher. Only time will tell if he can truly turn his career around or if he’ll continue throwing INTs.
2021 NFL Season Interception Leader Odds
Odds via Bovada as of Friday, July 23
- Sam Darnold (+700)
- Ryan Fitzpatrick (+800)
- Jared Goff (+800)
- Zach Wilson (+900)
- Jalen Hurts (+1000)
- Trevor Lawrence (+1200)
- Ben Roethlisberger (+1200)
- Daniel Jones (+1500)
- Justin Fields (+1600)
- Kyler Murray (+2200)
- Kirk Cousins (+2200)
- Justin Herbert (+2200)
Complete odds list available at Bovada.lv.
Fitzpatrick, Goff Have Interception Potential
Both Washington Football Team QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff share +800 odds to lead the 2021 NFL interception leader.
A lot of qualities can be used to describe Fitzpatrick and being afraid to throw the ball isn’t one of them. The 38-year-old signal-caller is one of the bigger gunslingers in the league and is willing to toss the ball whenever he can. Unfortunately, that can lead to untimely interceptions. That’s gotten him into trouble in the past as he led the 2011 NFL season with 23 interceptions. Nevertheless, he lowered that number as he got older and has improved his accuracy. Still, as a starting QB in 2019, Fitzpatrick threw 13 interceptions in 15 games. Considering how 15 INTs was the most in the league last season, there’s actually a chance that he could be the 2021 NFL season’s leader — especially if his play drops off due to his age.
Throwing for at least 20 touchdowns in each of the last four seasons, people don’t often think about Goff when it comes to quarterbacks who are prone to throwing interceptions. However, the Lions new signal-caller has 48 interceptions over the past four seasons — third in the NFL during that span. Now, he’s gone from playing with a Los Angeles Rams team that has a great offensive line to a Lions team that hasn’t been good in a long time. The 2021 NFL season should follow that trend, which means Goff could throw for a career-high in interceptions. Detroit just doesn’t have many playmaking pass-catchers on offense, so it’ll be tough for Goff to find that Cooper Kupp/Robert Woods type of reliable connection.
In other words, Goff needs to be more cautious than ever.
