We’re about four months away from the start of the 2021 NFL regular season, which will now run 17 games instead of the usual 16. Interestingly, this will make the NFL the only major league to have an odd number of games in its regular season. The two teams that played in Super Bowl LV, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are the top two teams on the odds list to win this year’s championship, despite the fact that it has been 16 years since the New England Patriots repeated as Super Bowl champions, winning Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. No champion has repeated since then, although the Chiefs made it back to the world championship last year after winning Super Bowl LIV.
Let’s look at each team’s current sports betting odds to win Super Bowl LVI, set for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
NFL News: Really Early Odds to Win Super Bowl LVI
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | +500 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +600 |
| Buffalo Bills | +700 |
| Green Bay Packers | +800 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +1100 |
| Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers | +1400 |
| Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks | +1500 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +1700 |
| Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys | +2000 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans | +2500 |
| Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins | +2800 |
| New England Patriots | +3000 |
| Chicago Bears | +3200 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +4000 |
| Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders | +4500 |
| Washington Football Team | +5000 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +6000 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +7000 |
| Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, New York Jets | +7500 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +10000 |
| Detroit Lions | +12500 |
| Houston Texans | +25000 |
Could a veteran quarterback lead a team with an ironclad defense all the way to the title, if the team adds some skill players around him? Of course, they could — that’s how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got to the world championship this season. Sure, Tom Brady led the Bucs all the way, but it was that pass rush that frustrated Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl and harassed Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship. Which team fits that description this time around? How about the Washington Football Team? They are the defending NFC East champions. Yes, they finished 7-9, but they pushed the Bucs hard in the wild card playoff game — with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. This is a team that cut their starting quarterback (Dwayne Haskins) and also saw Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith go down at quarterback, leaving the job to Heinicke. The Football Team was defense first, finishing third in Defensive DVOA, and then the team went and added cornerback William Jackson III via free agency. They drafted linebacker Jamin Davis out of Kentucky in the first round, and they added to their talent at wide receiver by grabbing Dyami Brown from North Carolina in the third round. Who’s the quarterback this year? Ryan Fitzpatrick, who put up career numbers in Miami last year only to get jettisoned in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, so you can bet there will be plenty of motivation in D.C. So they’re my sleeper value pick right now.
Is anyone overvalued right now? I’m worried about Green Bay. Why? Aaron Rodgers wants to get traded, as GM Brian Gutekunst has alienated his star quarterback. I wonder what Gutekunst will think in a couple of seasons, when the Pack no longer has Rodgers to dig them out of every hole that the roster falls into and the team isn’t headed to the divisional round or the conference championship every year. Even if Rodgers returns, the chemistry in the locker room will be iffy at best. In Dallas, yes, Jerry Jones finally paid Dak Prescott. But does this really work? In 2018, none of the quarterbacks in the NFL with a top-five salary (in terms of salary average) made the playoffs. The Cowboys wasted Prescott’s rookie contract years by failing to build a solid defense and keep the offensive line intact. This year, they have drafted heavy on the defensive side of the ball, but those rookies will take time to learn the scheme and come together as a team. There’s also the fact that Jones has created a culture in Dallas that teaches players that they don’t really have to listen to their head coach. So don’t bite on that +2000 moneyline.
NFL Betting Odds
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