New York Jets 2021-2022 Season Preview, Odds and Win Totals

The New York Jets are coming off a two-win season, the entire coaching staff was let go, the franchise quarterback was shipped off to Carolina for a few draft picks, and yet there is budding optimism for for Gang Green in 2021.

A clean slate from the Adam Gase era is exactly what's needed in New York. The former Dolphins head coach and offensive coordinator for Peyton Manning in Denver was hired in 2019 to further develop Sam Darnold. Instead he regressed mightily under his watch. Darnold threw for 19 TDs and over 3,000 yards in 2019, but only threw 9 in 2020 with 11 interceptions, averaging only 184 passing yards per game.

Heading into 2021, longtime 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh now takes over, and No. 2 overall draft pick Zach Wilson will try to buck the trend of quarterbacks constantly on the carousel in the Meadowlands. The only way Wilson becomes a true franchise quarterback and succeeds in New York is if the team surrounds him with enough talent to help him succeed, something that was never afforded to Darnold during his three seasons here.

New York Jets 2021 Team Outlook

BetSided breaks down the full betting angles for Giants vs. Jets in Week 1 of the preseason

Wilson begins the conversation on what expectations should be set for the Jets on offense. A terrific playmaker with a strong arm and an ability to extend plays, Wilson should be set up well in a new offense led by offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who like Saleh, comes over from the Kyle Shanahan school in San Francisco. It's a west coast offense with a multitude of looks out of play-action, putting Wilson on the move and cutting the field in half to ease into his reads. Wilson also has had success in the pocket, but the success of the Jets' offensive line and run game could help make his transition into his rookie year even easier.

Their line is led by last year's first round pick Mekhi Becton, who provides an immediate stable presence on Wilson's blindside at left tackle. They also drafted another first rounder in 2021 with Alijah Vera-Tucker to join Becton at left guard. On the right side, George Fant, Greg Van Roten, and Connor McGovern go from right to left, with McGovern at center.

At running back, the Jets brought in former 49ers and Falcons veteran Tevin Coleman, who currently leads the depth chart ahead of last year's rookie Lamical Perine and fourth round rookie Michael Carter. Coleman's pedigree makes him a solid starter, but health has always been a concern for the 28-year old. Ty Johnson also could factor into the mix as well.

The Jets actually have some exciting names at wide receiver to help Wilson's development. Jamison Crowder returns as a reliable option in the slot, and New York signed former first round pick Corey Davis to a free agent deal after a breakout year for the Titans. They also signed Keelan Cole away from the Jaguars after several seasons, and speedster Denzel Mims is trying to showcase his early round talent despite falling further down the depth chart. New York also drafted Elijah Moore out of Mississippi, who had looked like an absolute star throughout camp, but recently went down with a quad injury.

Lastly at tight end, Chris Herndon likely remains the starter, but the Jets are still waiting to see his potential come through on a consistent basis.

Defensively, new head coach Robert Saleh is shifting the Jets' defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3, hoping that will jump start a struggling pass rush that finished 21st in sacks last season. Free agent signing Carol Lawson got $15 million for the next three years to get to the quarterback, as he mans the line with 23-year old Quinnen Williams who led the Jets with seven sacks in 2020.

At linebacker, Neville Hewitt was all over the field, leading New York in tackles by a wide margin over Marcus Maye and Blessuan Austin out in the secondary. They'll have C.J. Mosley back after opting out last season due to COVID-19, and Jarrad Davis has been one of the defensive playcallers so far in camp.

In the secondary, Austin and Bryce Hall will hold down the cornerback spots once again, with Maye and Ashtyn Davis in the secondary, although Davis has been on the PUP list since July 24. For a struggling defense, the Jets did not do much to upgrade those positions this offseason, which could become detrimental.

New York Jets 2021 NFL Draft

Several of the Jets' top draft picks have been highlighted already, but with two picks in the top 14, the Jets got the second quarterback available in Wilson after Trevor Lawrence went No. 1 overall to Jacksonville. Wilson ranks third over at WynnBET for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds at +600, tied with Steelers RB Najee Harris who crept into the top 3 over the course of last week. Lawrence is the clear favorite at +275, with Bears rookie QB Justin Fields second at +525.

The Jets' other first round pick at 14 went to USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker, who joins last year's rookie Mekhi Becton on the left side.

Wide receiver Elijah Moore went to New York in the second round at pick 34 overall out of Ole Miss. With no third round picks after trading them to the Vikings to move up and select Vera-Tucker, the Jets grabbed another running back in Michael Carter in the 4th round to compete for snaps with Coleman, Perine and Johnson.

Interestingly enough, the Jets selected another Michael Carter, this time a cornerback out of Duke in the 5th round along with Auburn linebacker Jamien Sherwood.

New York Jets Team Odds: Division (+1500), Conference (+7500), Super Bowl (+12500)

The Jets fall to the way back of the line for their futures odds at WynnBET Sportsbook in 2021. At +1500, they're by far the lowest on the board to win the division behind Buffalo (-155), New England (+320), and Miami (+340).

In terms of winning the AFC Championship, the Jets fall only ahead of Houston with +7500 odds of capturing the conference.

For Super Bowl odds, only the Detroit Lions (+20000) and Houston Texans (+35000) rank lower than the Jets and Jaguars at odds of +12500.

New York Jets Regular Season Win Total: 6.5 WINS | OVER (+130), UNDER (-150)

Ben Heisler: 

The Jets were so close to landing Trevor Lawrence, and just had to win that second game in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns to screw it all up and gift wrap the top QB prospect to Jacksonville.

Regardless, the Jets 2021 season actually provides some element of hope for the future, something that couldn't be said over the past few seasons under Adam Gase. Sam Darnold was considered a prospect with perhaps the highest ceiling in the 2018 NFL Draft, and the Jets got him nowhere near it, so now he becomes Carolina's issue. Zach Wilson and Robert Saleh get a fresh slate as they pair up together to ultimately decide their long term future in New York.

The Jets will be better than they were in 2020, but is that really offering much in the way of "feel-good?" Last year was a disaster, especially the two games they won in the most inopportune times! I expect Wilson to have plenty of growing pains learning an NFL offense, as well as playing in a far improved division from a season ago. If the Jets were not in the AFC East, where I predict we'll see three playoff teams in 2021, I think they could possibly win 6-7 games. But this year, I think we'll see a 5-12 season with a few eye-opening moments from Wilson to Elijah Moore that could have Jets fans giddy for their future.

PREDICTION: UNDER 6.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 5 WINS (+325)

Donnavan Smoot:

Jets fans are once again caught in their never ending cycle of disappointment. After a 2-14 season, the Jets drafted Zach Wilson No. 2 overall and have put their faith in him to turn things around. Luckily for Wilson, Adam Gase is gone, so Wilson has a chance of being successful. 

However, that success is going to have to come later in his career because the Jets will be bad again. Now, I don’t think they will look as bad as they did last year, but the wins will not be flowing in. 

Their defense is still one of the most questionable units in all of football and with a rookie quarterback, they are bound to go through some growing pains. Wilson’s top target in camp, Elijah Moore, walked off the field with a trainer before their preseason game with the Giants. If Moore can remain healthy throughout the season, then he and Wilson could have a good connection. 

The Jets scored the least amount of points last year and had the second-lowest total of yards. Their offense is still going to need work and it will take time to see it through. Now that the Jets have their quarterback, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they aren’t tanking. Yet, the results on the field might have you questioning that.

PREDICTION: UNDER 6.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 4 WINS (+450)

Peter Dewey: 

The Jets have revamped their roster from last season’s disastrous 2-14 campaign, but I don’t expect to see them have a worst-to-first type of season. 

Zach Wilson has shown that he needs to learn in the NFL during training camp, and with those growing pains are going to come losses for the Jets. New York is the worst team in the AFC East behind the Bills, Patriots and Dolphins, and I don’t see a path where they can break the 6.5-win barrier to get to 7-10. 

It could happen, but with a rookie quarterback, rookie head coach, rookie running back and potentially a rookie wideout expected to lead the team, I think the Jets time is coming later down the road, not in 2021.  

PREDICTION: UNDER 6.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 4 WINS (+450)

Iain MacMillan:

I have good news for any fans of the New York Jets; at least you aren’t fans of the Houston Texans.

Outside of that, it’s going to be yet another tough year to cheer for your beloved Jets. Yes, you have a new rookie quarterback that will give you a false sense of hope for a year at best, but I think you all know in the back of your minds how that’s going to turn out.

To be fair, I like Elijah Moore quite a bit and I think he can be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

Even if New York has a good year by their standards, a new head coach and quarterback isn’t going to turn this disaster of a franchise around in a single season. Looking at their statistics from last season truly makes me feel sick to my stomach. Last in points per game (15.2), last in yards per game (279.9), most punts per game (5.1), 24th in opponent yards per game (387.6), and 26th in opponent points per game (28.6). Yikes.

I do like the head coach hire of Robert Saleh, I thought he was the best available candidate this offseason, but this is going to be a long term project.

PREDICTION: UNDER 6.5 WINS (-150)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 4 WINS (+450)

Will the New York Jets Make the Playoffs? | MISS THE PLAYOFFS (-750), MAKE THE PLAYOFFS (+425)

Ben Heisler: 

This may not come as a surprise to many of you, but the only way a five-win team somehow ends up in the playoffs would like come by way of nearly half of the AFC teams forfeiting their way out of the mix. With NFL vaccinations levels rising to 90% and higher, I think it's a fair assumption to take that the Jets are out of the playoffs in 2021, failing to become one of the possible last to first teams we usually see each season.

I do want to stress that there are plenty of reasons for Jets fans to feel optimistic this season, but the grind towards contention will not be a one-season turnaround. I have the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots all making the postseason this year, and the Jets will be the only ones remaining at home in a much improved division.

PREDICTION: NO (-750)

Donnavan Smoot:

If the Jets make the playoffs, I don’t know what I’ll do. That possibility is so far out of the question for me that I don’t necessarily want to acknowledge it. The AFC East is shaping out to be a tough division and the Jets are once again going to be at the bottom. 

Robert Saleh’s first year should be one of promise and Jets fans should honestly have a little bit of hope moving forward. Sadly, they will still have to suffer another bad season this year. 

PREDICTION: NO (-750)

Peter Dewey:  

The AFC East may have multiple playoff teams this season, but the Jets won’t be one of them. 

New York still has some questions in the secondary, and it let Brian Poole walk this offseason after he impressed during the 2020 season. Robert Saleh, a great defensive mind, should help the team improve on defense, but the Jets offense has too many unknowns for them to be a playoff team. 

Maybe Zach Wilson is a star, but I don’t think he’s going to walk in and make the Jets a better team than Miami or New England. 

PREDICTION: NO (-750)

Iain MacMillan: 

The New York Jets are the worst team in the AFC East by a significant margin, so no, I don’t think they will make the playoffs. 

I will say that I think they got a good haul from the Carolina Panthers for Sam Darnold this offseason. A second, fourth, and six round picks are way more than I’d ever give up for a quarterback that hasn’t even shown a flash of competence since entering the league in 2018, so props to the Jets front office for pulling that one off.

I do think that they will take a step forward in 2021, but it will be a small one. Don’t expect to see them in the postseason this year.

PREDICTION: NO (-750)

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Every day from the start of NFL Training Camp, the BetSided team of Ben Heisler, Donnavan Smoot, Peter Dewey and Iain MacMillan are breaking down the win totals, playoff and Super Bowl odds for every team in the NFL.

Check back Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT when we preview the betting outlook for the Green Bay Packers and check out our earlier team-by-team betting previews.

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