Super Bowl Futures

As we approach the closing weeks of the regular season, football fans are debating the age-old question of contenders vs. pretenders. Who are the truly elite squads that will show their worth come January and February, and who are the paper tigers that will fade away come playoff time? Fortunately, we’ve enjoyed some heavyweight showdowns in recent weeks, which provide some insight toward this debate 👀

• The clear favorite right now is San Francisco (+260), who avenged last year’s NFC Championship loss with a blowout win over the Eagles in Week 13

• The 49ers have long looked like the most complete team in football, and have rattled off 5 straight Ws since their surprising 3-game skid

• However, another NFC contender who laid their own smackdown on the Eagles also has a legitimate statistical claim to the throne 👀

Despite the Eagles’ shockingly low point differential, it still seems that the NFC has three obvious contenders who stand above the rest with San Fran, Dallas and Philly. The AFC playoff picture, on the other hand, looks like an absolute bloodbath. With Mahomes’ Chiefs looking weak, the Bills currently out of the playoff picture but starting to heat up, and Burrow sidelined for the year, will a new squad emerge from the fray? 👇

Super Bowl LVIII Odds (subject to change)

• 49ers: +260

• Ravens: +600

• Chiefs: +650

• Eagles: +750

• Dolphins: +800

• Cowboys: +850

Diving into the AFC, this conference’ top-ranked squad does not match most pundits’ preseason predictions. With Lamar Jackson back at full health after dealing with a variety of injury issues the past few seasons, the Ravens look like a legitimate title contender for the first time since his MVP campaign ⭐️

• Equipped with a stout defense and new weapons in OBJ and rookie Zay Flowers, this Baltimore team looks more well-rounded than ever. The Ravens showed the capability to win in a variety of ways last week vs. the Rams

Miami ranks second in the AFC, with a high-powered offense driven by the league’s most unstoppable weapon in Tyreek Hill. If his Monday night injury turns out to be serious, Miami is obviously in trouble. They’ve struggled against the conference’s elite squads, and just dropped a game at home to the Titans 😬

• The Bills are the AFC’s most puzzling team, as they have proven that they can hang with the league’s very best but have a difficult road ahead to even make the postseason

• However, Buffalo’s much-needed win in Arrowhead could be the start of a magical run for Josh Allen and co. 👀

Looking back toward the NFC, the Cowboys are finally shedding their label as a squad that wilts against other contenders. Dak Prescott is the favorite (+150) to capture his first MVP, but he will need to show out vs. the gauntlet of Buffalo, Miami and Detroit in order to win the award

• Similarly to Buffalo’s win vs. KC, Dallas’ rout of the Eagles was the kind of win that can exorcise demons and define a season 😤

Finally, while it feels foolish to count either team from last year’s Super Bowl out, both squads looks significantly inferior to last season’s juggernauts. For Philadelphia, both Dallas and San Francisco have presented themselves as nightmare matchups for the Eagles’ struggling defense 😬

• For the Chiefs, it’s all about the receiving core, as another costly error led to an uncharacteristically frustrated Mahomes

If I was a betting man, which I am, I think the Cowboys at +850 is the most intriguing future to throw some money on. They’ve looked really good over their current five game win streak, and have odds long enough to see a solid payout 💰

Trivia Question: Which NFL franchise has won the most Super Bowls?

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Trivia Answer: The Steelers and Patriots are tied for the most Super Bowl victories in the NFL with six championships apiece