Sport has the ability to make or break your week, depending on the way certain results go. But which major league fanbases have it toughest? We’ve decided to find out!

Ranking all NFL and NBA fanbases according to a range of factors including win rate, team discipline, and social media sentiment, we’ve been able to reveal the most (and least) stressed supporters. Read on to see where your team ranks!

The Top 10 most stressed NFL fanbases

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Taking the unfortunate title of most stressed NFL fanbase, we have supporters of the Arizona Cardinals, whose patience was truly tested last season.

Scoring 6.064 out of 8, no team endured more injuries than the Cardinals (27), while fans had to watch on as their team fumbled the ball 8 times, lost the ball 17, and conceded 118 penalties. Despite this, though, Cardinals fans remain relatively optimistic, with a negative social media score of just 8.43% - there are 23 teams with greater online toxicity!

Next up, the Denver Broncos score 5.733, largely due to last season’s ill-discipline in conceding the second-most penalties (113) - and the most penalty yards (970) – and 9.74% of all social media fan posts being considered negative in nature.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis Colts fans take third (5.645), after their team recorded one of the season’s worst NFL win rates (26.5%) and an average losing margin of 8.1 points, as well as conceding an enormous 14 fumbles and 20 interceptions. Incidentally, the Colts also have the NFL’s second-widest spread support, so the stress will be felt across the country!

Ranking fourth, we have the Tennessee Titans (5.634), ahead of the Cleveland Browns (4.989) and Chicago Bears (4.828), while the New Orleans Saints (4.793) and Las Vegas Raiders (4.789) take seventh and eighth, respectively.

Key factors that contribute to each fanbase’s high ranking include the Bears’ frustratingly low win rate (17.6%), the Browns’ unfortunate injury count (23), the Raiders and Titans conceding over 930 penalty yards apiece, and the Saints’ 11 fumbles.

Finally, the Houston Texans (4.744) and New York Jets (4.733) round out our top ten. The Texans recorded the second-lowest win rate (20.6%) and second-highest injury count (24), and the Jets conceded 866 penalty yards and have the fourth-highest negative social media sentiment score (10.7%).

Curiously, when we look at the scores across each division, it’s AFC South who have it worst – with the average score coming to 4.751. This comes as three of the four teams feature in our top ten, with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2.983) the outliers.

Which NFL fanbases are the least stressed?

At the other end of our index, Philadelphia Eagles fans are officially the most relaxed NFL supporters, with a score of just 2.271. This comes as last season’s Super Bowl runner up recorded the joint-best win percentage, conceded just 9 interceptions, and enjoyed an average winning margin of 7.8 points. 

They’re joined by the San Francisco 49ers (2.309), Cincinnati Bengals (2.505), Super Bowl LVII champs the Kansas City Chiefs (2.538), and Los Angeles Chargers (2.816).

The Top 10 most stressed NBA fanbases

Ranking top of our NBA ‘stressed supporter’ index, we have fans of the Detroit Pistons, scoring 5.292 out of 8. This comes as the team won just 20.7% of their games, and fans had to watch on as players committed 1,813 personal fouls and conceded 2,149 free throw attempts – both more than any other NBA franchise.

However, despite the poor on-court performances, just 8.4% of social media posts from Pistons fans are considered negative, placing them just below the NBA average (8.55%).

Next up, the Indiana Pacers score 4.921, largely thanks to the team’s poor play last season, including 1,741 personal fouls, 650 opponent steals, and 2,100 opponent free throw attempts. On top of this, the Pacers were involved in a staggering 15 close games – decided by 3 points or less – the sixth most in the league.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Timberwolves fans take third, with an index score of 4.910, after their team committed the second-most personal fouls last season (1,768), conceded the second-most steals (674), and gave their opponents the second-most free throw attempts (2,133).

Ranking fourth, we have the Dallas Mavericks (4.689), ahead of the Phoenix Suns (4.609) and Brooklyn Nets (4.578), while the Oklahoma City Thunder (4.468) and Golden State Warriors (4.288) take seventh and eighth, respectively. The Golden State Warriors are also expected to be the most expensive NBA team by 2025, too, so fans have it hard on multiple fronts!

Factors that contribute to each team’s lofty ranking include the Mavericks enduring 18 injuries – more than any other team – the Warriors conceding 646 steals, the City Thunder allowing a staggering 1,375 turnovers, and all teams committing at least 500 personal fouls and allowing 2,000+ opponent free throws. On top of this, Mavericks fans had to sit through an incredible 20 close games, too.

Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers (4.225) and San Antonio Spurs (4.189) round out our top ten, with the Spurs notably experiencing 17 player injuries and the Trail Blazers involved in 15 close games.

Interestingly, when we look at the index scores across each division, it’s the Southwest who have it worst, with the average score coming in at 4.072. This comes as four teams feature in the top half of our list, with the New Orleans Pelicans sitting 16th (3.431).

Which NFL fanbases are the least stressed?

At the other end of our index, Boston Celtics fans are officially the most relaxed NBA supporters, with a score of just 1.704. This comes as the 17-time championship winner enjoyed the second-strongest winning percentage (69.5%) and the joint-fewest injuries (11). They’re joined by the Milwaukee Bucks (1.783), Los Angeles Lakers (2.299), New York Knicks (2.441), and Denver Nuggets (2.656).

So, there we have it, the most (and least) stressed major league fanbases based on on-court play, difficulties, and triumphs throughout the last season. Of course, with the unpredictable nature of sport, this could all change, depending on who comes out on top next season! In the meantime, discover all the latest sports betting odds, or explore our blog for all the latest fandom insight. 

Methodology

There are two datasets that rank NBA and NFL teams, based on how stressed their fans are. To do this, 8 different factors were considered:

The factors for the NFL dataset are as follows:

  • Win percentage in the 2022 season – low values get a high index score.
  • Injured players during the 2022 season – high values get a high index score.
  • Penalties against each team in the 2022 season – high values get a high index score.
  • Penalty yards against each team in the 2022 season – high values get a high score.
  • Fumbles in the 2022 season – high values get a high score.
  • Interceptions against each team in the 2022 season – high values get a high index score. against each selected team, whilst playing offense, in the 2022 season.
  • Margin of victory in the 2022 season – this is equal to (points scored - points allowed)/number of games played. low values get a high index score.
  • Negative social media sentiment - the percentage of posts on social media from 19/09/2022-18/09/2023 that were negative about each selected team. High values get a high index score.

The factors for the NBA dataset are as follows:

  • Winning Percentage in the 2022/23 season - low values get a high score.
  • Injured Players during the 2022/23 season - if players transferred teams during the season, they counted towards both teams. High values get a high index score.
  • Team personal fouls during the 2022/23 season - high values get a high index score.
  • Opponent steals during the 2022/23 season - high values get a high index score.
  • Opponent turnovers during the 2022/23 season - high values get a high index score.
  • Opponent free throw attempts during the 2022/23 season - high values get a high index score.
  • Close games during the 2022/23 season – the number of games in the 2022-2023 season that were decided by three points or less. High values get a high index score.
  • Negative social media sentiment - the percentage of posts on social media from 19/09/2022-18/09/2023 that were negative about each selected team. High values get a high index score.

Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalized to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalized values were then summed, to give each team a total score out of 8. The teams were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores. 

All data is correct as of 09/18/2023. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.

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