Dan Campbell has second-best odds to win Coach of the Year award

The Detroit Lions are 5-1 in their last six games and on the verge of an unthinkable playoff run. Though they still likely need to go 4-0 in the final stretch of the season to make the postseason, that is still a ridiculously good position to be in considering the team’s 1-6 start to the season.

As we pointed out, the Lions have been getting a lot of national attention for their recent run, and apparently, coach Dan Campbell is turning just as many heads. Because a look at the latest odds to win the AP Coach of the Year award at the end of the season shows Campbell with the second-best odds, only trailing heavy favorite Nick Sirianni, coach of the 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

Back in the preseason, we toyed with the idea of Campbell as a Coach of the Year candidate. Despite entering the year with long-shot odds for the awards, bettors wagered heavily on the Lions coach, moving the line in some sportsbooks from 60-to-1 to 25-to-1.

That shift led our own Mike Payton to pen a checklist of things Campbell would need to do to be a real candidate to win the award. Let’s go down that list now, and see how he’s done:

Finish with a winning record: If the Lions go 3-1 down the stretch, that’s a checkmark.

Make the playoffs: This may require a 4-0 finish, but 3-1 could also get them in.

Signature wins: I think a home victory over the 10-2 Vikings counts, and let’s not overlook their road victory over the 7-2 Giants.

Keep being Dan Campbell: Well, that’s never going to stop. And if the reaction to his appearance on The Pat McAfee show on Tuesday is any sign, he’s still a big draw for national attention.

Here’s a look at where the Coach of the Year odds stand after Week 14 according to DraftKings Sportsbook:

Nick Sirianni: 1/4
Dan Campbell: 9/1
Robert Saleh: 12/1
Mike McDaniel: 20/1
Kevin O’Connell: 20/1
Mike McCarthy: 22/1
Pete Carroll: 30/1
Kyle Shanahan: 35/1
Brian Daboll: 35/1