Jim Harbaugh Next Team Odds & Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers Hire Former Michigan Coach

We took a deep dive into Jim Harbaugh's next team odds from one of our best sports betting apps amid speculation that the former Michigan Wolverines coach would leave for the NFL before taking the job with the Los Angeles Chargers.

After guiding the Michigan Wolverines to the 2024 College Football Championship, Jim Harbaugh is headed back to the NFL.

The former San Francisco 49ers coach - who currently ranks fifth in NFL history in win percentage (69.5%) - has taken the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to numerous reports on Wednesday. That comes after he interviewed with multiple NFL teams in recent years amid a successful tenure at his alma mater Michigan.

Those constant rumors led some of our best sports betting sites to post odds on Harbaugh's next team, as they did for Bill Belichick's next team, and the Chargers were always among the favorites. Sure enough, Harbaugh appears bound for Los Angeles in his first taste of the NFL in a decade.

Before Wednesday's news, we took a deep dive into the Jim Harbaugh next team odds from our best NFL betting sites:

Jim Harbaugh next team odds

Market states: For which team will Harbaugh be the head coach for in Week 1?

(odds via DraftKings as of Monday, Jan. 15)

Jim Harbaugh next team betting analysis

(Editor's note: this article was written before news that Harbaugh would take the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers.)

This market is currently being offered at only one of our best sportsbooks, with DraftKings standing alone. The Los Angeles Chargers are the favorite of any actual team with +150 odds, but DraftKings' moved "not the head coach of an NFL team" to the betting favorite, suggesting a return to Michigan could be possible following the national championship win.

Seeing the Washington Commanders ahead of other teams such as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders is a bit surprising, as there is more appeal to other destinations when breaking down Harbaugh's background.

The New York Giants and New Orleans Saints being on the list is also surprising as they are showing no signs of parting ways with their current head coaches Brian Daboll and Dennis Allen, respectively. The biggest wild card on here is the Atlanta Falcons, a team one quarterback away from a breakthrough somewhat similar to Harbaugh's old San Francisco team (minus an elite defense).

But the Falcons are also the favorites among NFL team to be Bill Belichick's next team.

Jim Harbaugh's next team prediction

Chargers (+150 via DraftKings)

The Chargers make the most sense for Harbaugh to return to the NFL, as the franchise is ready to make a run at the playoffs. Harbaugh would walk into the arms of Justin Herbert at quarterback. 

Let's also not forget the amount of California connections Harbaugh has, having coached college football at Stanford and also played for the Chargers. He also coached at the University of San Diego and was briefly an assistant coach with the Raiders when they were in Oakland. 

Let's focus on other teams though, as there is tremendous value on the Raiders. Although the fans and players love Antonio Pierce, Harbaugh might want to go back to a franchise with which he coached the quarterbacks from 2002-03. Also, it's Vegas.

If the bright lights of Vegas doesn't lure him (along with a questionable quarterback situation), perhaps the Panthers are a destination. He would have a, no pun intended, young quarterback to work with but the lack of future draft picks and a heavily involved owner might steer him elsewhere. 

It seems either Los Angeles or Las Vegas are his likely destinations if not Michigan. He might want to escape the cold weather, or maybe he wants to continue building his legacy at Michigan. Either way, there will come a point where he will want to chase history and become one of the few coaches to win the College Football National Championship and the Super Bowl. 

If that goal hits him this offseason, hedging the Chargers or Raiders might be the move - but the former is much more likely due to the state connections and easily managable roster and quarterback situation. 

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