The Most Clutch Teams in Sports

Last Updated: Jan 8^th, 2024

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A high-pressure moment in sports, often called a clutch, can mean the difference between a team losing a game or celebrating victory. As well as potentially changing a game’s outcome, sports clutches can also create amazing memories that fans remember for a lifetime.

With few things better than late drama and last-minute success, we decided to carry out some research and rank the most clutch teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

The Most Clutch Teams In The NFL

There were three clutch factors used to create a total index score: total 4th quarter comebacks (T4QCs), total game winning drives (TGWDs) and total overtime wins (TOWs). So here we go, these are the Top 5 clutch teams in the NFL

The Las Vegas Raiders came out on top with a total index score of 93.32 out of 100, achieved through 14 T4QCs, 21 TGWDs and 7 TOWs. Let’s all think back to December 18, 2022, when Chandler Jones’ fumble recovery for a touchdown was the team’s third walk-off touchdown of the season. A classic moment!

We then have the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 2, with 17 T4QCs, 21 TGWDs and 3 TOWs, giving them a total index score of 80.94.

Following close behind are the Tennessee Titans with a score of 78.25 (14 T4QCs, 18 TGWDs and 5 TOWs), the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 75.60 (14 T4QCs, 14 TGWDs and 6 TOWs) and the Minnesota Vikings with a score of 74.54 (14 T4QCs, 16 TGWDs and 5 TOWs).

The Most Clutch Teams In The NBA

The NBA is up next, and it has more than its fair share of clutch teams.

Taking top spot, the Sacramento Kings are clutch royalty, with a total index score of 67.65. To get there, they achieved eight buzzer beaters (BBs) and nine overtime wins (OWs). Asked by the team to vote for the best clutch moment of the 2022-2023 season, fans opted for De'Aaron Fox's half-court heave in Orlando.

Ranking from second to fifth are the Los Angeles Lakers, with an index score of 62.50 (2 BBs and 20 OWs – the most OWs out of all 30 teams), the Atlanta Hawks with a score of 54.78 (5 BBs and 11 OWs), Miami Heat with a score of 54.41 (4 BBs and 13 OWs) and the Denver Nuggets with a score of 53.68 (2 BBs and 17 OWs).

The Most Clutch Teams In The NHL

If you prefer your sports on ice, you'll enjoy finding out which NHL teams are the most clutch-worthy.

At number one it’s the Florida Panthers, with an index score of 96.97, which takes into account 28 comebacks when two down (CB-2s) and 48 overtime wins (OWs). Matthew Tkachuk could very well be the team’s most clutch player, as three of his goals have been game-winners.

We then have the Chicago Blackhawks with a total index score of 90.91 (24 CB-2s and 50 OWs), Tampa Bay Lightning with a score of 85.61 (27 CB-2s and 42 OWs) and the Carolina Hurricanes with a score of 84.85 (24 CB-2s and 46 OWs). Meanwhile, at number five, it’s the Vegas Golden Knights with a score of 83.33 (22 CB-2s and 48 OWs).

We should point out that Seattle Kraken came in last with an index score of 0.00, but that’s because the team was only founded in 2018 and the data available is limited. However, in 2021 and 2022 the team achieved six comebacks when two down, and from 2020 to 2022 they ran up 17 overtime wins.

The Most Clutch Teams In MLB

Still considered by many as America’s favorite pastime, baseball and MLB in particular have plenty of memorable clutch moments.

Clutching the top spot it’s the San Diego Padres with an index score of 71.44, which was determined by four comeback wins (CBWs), 24 total grand slams (TGSs) and five total steals of home (TSHs). If you’re a Padres fan, you must surely remember when on May 23, 2021, Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo shot in the 2nd inning, followed by a grand slam in the 7th to give the Padres an 8-1 lead over the Mariners.

Next up we have the Houston Astros with an index score of 62.49 (2 CBWs, 37 TGSs and 3 TSHs) and Los Angeles Dodgers with a score of 55.09 (2 CBWs, 31 TGSs and 3 TSHs), while the Philadelphia Phillies (2 CBWs, 18 TGSs and 6 TSHs) and Texas Rangers (1 CBWs, 18 TGSs and 8 TSHs) each score 51.54.

The Least Clutch Teams In Sports

We should probably also include the least clutch teams in the major professional leagues. This isn’t to say these teams don’t perform well; they just have low clutch scores. We’ll keep this brief:

NFL: Carolina Panthers
NBA: Milwaukee Bucks
NHL (not including the Seattle Kraken): Ottawa Senators
MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates

And there you have it, the most (and least) clutch teams in sports! If you’re curious for more stats and facts, make sure to check out the Gambling.com news, or discover the best online sportsbooks for your favorite teams.

Methodology

To determine the most clutch teams in sports, various factors for each sport were analyzed over the past five years for every team in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. These results were then compiled and ranked through the use of an index score out of 100. The higher the total index score, the more clutch the team.