Of the 55 Super Bowls that have been played, the team from the NFL/NFC (four Super Bowls were played before the AFL/NFL merger) has won 28, while the AFL/AFC representative has won 27. The NFL representative won the first two, and then the AFL/AFC teams won eight of the next nine and 11 of the next 13, but then the NFC went on an extended run of dominance that has really only been countered by the rise of the New England Patriots over the last two decades. Last year’s Super Bowl went to the NFC, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs to become the first team ever to host a Super Bowl — and to win a title in its own stadium.
As you consider your NFL betting on Super Bowl LVI, here are five reasons why the AFC’s team will prevail.
NFL News: Five Reasons the AFC Will Win Super Bowl LVI
The AFC has the next generation of great young quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes already has a title, two Super Bowl appearances and three AFC Championship appearances. He’s only 26 years old. Josh Allen has played in an AFC title game and has grown into an elite quarterback in just his fourth season. Joe Burrow is in just his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he has led his team to two routs of Pittsburgh this season and a rout of the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Great quarterbacks win championships, and each of these three signal-callers has what it takes to finish games strong. Burrow won a national championship at LSU and has already come up huge in several prime-time appearances in the NFL. Josh Allen was the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl MVP in 2017 and made the Pro Bowl a year ago.
Derrick Henry could carry the Tennessee Titans to a title
Tennessee is struggling right now, but they don’t have the engine of their offense — the legs of Derrick Henry. If the Titans can hold on and creep into the postseason, he is slated to return, and Henry with fresh legs should be scary to every defensive coordinator in the NFL, especially at a time of year when opposing defenses will be banged up after a season of wear. Ryan Tannehill doesn’t seem to be able to put the team on his back, but with an elite running game, he has enough passing savvy to lead his team to wins. We saw this two years ago, when the Titans went all the way to the AFC Championship, and we could see it again.
The NFC teams all have significant flaws
Tampa Bay has a hard time stopping the pass. Dallas has a hard time stopping teams from moving the ball without relying on a turnover to end drives, and their offense has been inconsistent since their bye week. The Rams are now seeing the other side of Matthew Stafford, which means poor decisions and interceptions at the wrong time. The Cardinals don’t have their starting quarterback off the injury list yet. Green Bay has a quarterback playing with a broken toe and has also had to deal with multiple injuries. Can any of them make it through the playoff gauntlet?
Kansas City’s defense is clicking
The Chiefs have allowed an average of 12 points per game over their last four contests. When their defense was stout two years ago, they went all the way to a Super Bowl title. Now, if their offense can catch up to where their defense is, they will really be a threat. They have only broken the 20-point mark once in their last five games, but they are winning games, and they are back atop the AFC West.
And then there’s New England
Yes, the defense is back. The Pats have won six in a row. Their offense isn’t great yet, but has it ever been all that dominant? It’s efficient, it scores points, but the team relies on defense first, just like all the great Patriot teams from the last two decades have done.
NFL Betting Odds
Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines
Check out XBet’s NFL Calendar: Dates, Scores, Tips, Previews, and Predictions
