Pre-season Super Bowl odds are usually a good indicator of which teams will compete for the championship throughout the NFL season. There will certainly be some surprising teams and underperforming teams, but it has been a few years since a team entered this year as a true long-range contender and won the Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles had an odds of 50/1 for the championship before the 2017 season, and eventually won the championship with a substitute Nick Foles as a center. The San Francisco 49ers approached two years ago and lost in the Super Bowl. The past three Super Bowl champions have won the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the year with no less than 15/1 odds.
This is a breakdown of the Super Bowl LVI odds, by FanDuel sports betting, Before week 1 of the 2021 NFL season.
Favorites: Kansas City Chiefs +500, Tampa Bay Buccaneers +650
Not surprisingly, the two teams that met in the Super Bowl game last season won their respective meetings by an overwhelming advantage. In the three seasons as Kansas City’s starting quarterback, Patrick Mahoms’ earliest playoff exit was in the overtime of the AFC Champions League.Tom Brady Keep winning the Super Bowl, And the Buccaneers may be better in year 2 and have the same 22 starters. At least, Kansas and Tampa Bay should be the division champions competing for the No. 1 seed.
Top competitors: Buffalo Bills +1200, Green Bay Packers +1200, Baltimore Ravens +1400, San Francisco 49ers +1400, Los Angeles Rams +1500, Cleveland Browns +1600, Seattle Seahawks +2000
Green Bay is an obvious contender, participating in the NFC Championship and Defending MVP In Aaron Rogers. After finishing second in the NFL MVP voting and entering the AFC Championship, Josh Allen is likely to let the Bills get through this season. NFC West is the best division in football, with three viable championship contenders. The AFC North is not far behind. Baltimore and Cleveland both achieved 11-win seasons and entered the division playoffs.
Combinations: Tennessee Titans +2500, New Orleans Saints +3000, Dallas Cowboys +3000, Indianapolis Colts +3100, Los Angeles Lightning +3300, Miami Dolphins +3300, New England Patriots +3700
After the Titans and Colts lead 11-5 in the AFC South for a season, the second half of the division looks weaker. The Saints have won the NFC Southern Championship four consecutive times, although replacing Drew Bris with Jermaes Winston could be a major relegation. The Cowboys could easily become the most talented team in the NFC East, and Dark Prescott returned from ankle surgery. If Justin Herbert showed more improvement in his record rookie season, the Chargers could be dangerous.Miami and New England have playoff-level lineups, although their fate will ultimately depend on their progress Young quarterback.
If all goes well: Pittsburgh Steelers +4400, Minnesota Vikings +4400, Arizona Cardinals +4800, Chicago Bears +5000, Washington Football Team +5000, Denver Broncos +5000
Expectations for the Steelers are relatively low. They are the defending AFC North champions but have lost five of the past six games. Washington has won the historically weak NFC East with a record of failure. The Vikings are returning to all key parts of the top five offense. Another leap by Kyler Murray will give the Cardinals a high ceiling. Chicago and Denver have strong defenses on quarterback issues.
Long shots: Atlanta Falcons +6000, Las Vegas Raiders +7500, New York Giants +7500, Philadelphia Eagles +8500, Carolina Panthers +9000
Entering the playoffs is a major achievement for any of these teams, let alone participating in any type of playoffs. The Falcons have at least some hope. The 2016 MVP Matt Ryan is still under the leadership of center and new head coach Arthur Smith. The Raiders increased their win total for two consecutive seasons, but it has been 19 years since their last playoff victory. The Giants haven’t had a playoff victory in ten years. The Carolina and Philadelphia teams have ended 11 losing seasons and are led by quarterbacks who may not be the starters in 2022.
No chance: New York Jets +12000, Cincinnati Bengals +12000, Jacksonville Jaguars +12000, Detroit Lions +20000, Houston Texans +25000
Teams whose odds are less than 100/1 will no longer participate in the Super Bowl. For the Jets, Bengals and Jaguars, their top quarterback will improve in 2021.The Lions and the Texans will compete NFL worst record.
Photo: Getty Images/Jamie Squier
