Super Bowl odds after Wild Card weekend: Who is the favorite? Who is the long shot?
The first round of the NFL playoffs wrapped up in Pittsburgh on Monday night and now the one seeds in each conference get ready to join the party.
What a Wild Card weekend it was around the NFL, and after the Houston Texans dominant performance in Pittsburgh on Monday night we turn our attention to the Divisional Round next weekend. The one seeds will return to action from their first round BYEs rested and refreshed but does that mean that Seattle and Denver are the favorites for a Super Bowl run?
Everyone talked about this postseason being wide open, with no real front runners. The opening weekend of the playoffs only confirmed that. Four of the six games were won by road teams. The Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots were the only division winners to take care of business and move on to the next round. The early odds are out following the weekend and according to the odds makers at BetMGM Sportsbook the Seattle Seahawks are still the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks (+300)
The Seahawks were the best team in the NFC, securing their one seed in the final week of the season, at home against a division rival on the road. The win over the Niners earned them a BYE and home field and now after their week off in which they rested and recovered their bodies from a grueling regular season, they have a Week 18 rematch with the San Francisco 49ers, this time from Lumen Field.
Los Angeles Rams (+320)
The Rams didn’t play their best in the final stretch of the regular season and it dropped them from a potential one seed to the Wild Card spots heading into the playoffs. They played the 4 seed Carolina Panthers and had a great start to the game, but it took a dramatic late 4th quarter drive to close out Carolina and set up a Divisional Round match up with the Chicago Bears. They may not be in tip top shape but they have and MVP candidate at QB and they are considered the second favorite to lift the Lombard Trophy.
Buffalo Bills (+550)
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills went on the road and had to take on a Jacksonville Jaguars team that was one of the hottest in the NFL. Allen put on his super hero cape and carried his team to victory in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. That was his first playoff win on the road, and the Bills first postseason road win since 1992. Now the Bills hit the road again for a match up against the one seed Denver Broncos.
New England Patriots (+600)
Playoff football returned to Foxborough for the first time in seven years and it was Mike Vrable’s defense that led the way against the Los Angeles Chargers. The secondary was fantastic and that allowed the front four to keep constant pressure on Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Now this young squad led by a second year MVP candidate QB, move on to the next round of the playoffs where they will host the Houston Texans in what should be a defensive showdown from New England
Denver Broncos (+750)
The one seed Broncos aren’t getting much love in the oddsmakers eyes. Denver is coming off of their first round BYE and will have home field in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean that many people are penciling them in the Super Bowl out of the AFC. They are a team that has had to make more than a handful of fourth quarter comebacks, and they will be hoping to avoid having to do that against the Bills from Mile High Stadium this weekend.
Houston Texans (+850)
It was a dominant performance from the NFL’s most dominant defense. The Houston Texans went into Pittsburgh and shut Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense down, holding them to just six points all night. DeMeco Ryans defense outscored Pittsburgh 14-6 taking a fumble and an interception to the house on a night that CJ Stroud was far from perfect. If they get some decent QB play for the rest of the playoffs this could be a dangerous team for the Patriots and whoever else might have to see them later in the playoffs.
Chicago Bears (+1400)
It was the most thrilling game of a weekend of instant classics. The Chicago Bears overcame a 21-3 half-time lead and scored 25 points in in the final quarter of their game against the Green Bay Packers from Soldier Field. This team has made coming back from second half deficits their specialty this season and there isn’t a moment in the game when you can count them out. They will play the Rams this weekend from a frigid Soldier Field before they can start thinking about the NFC Championship.
San Francisco 49ers (+2000)
The San Francisco 49ers are the biggest long shot to win the Super Bowl, and that can directly be contributed to the injuries they have endured throughout the year. The injury list got longer when TE George Kittle tore his achilles in the game against the Eagles, but the Niners were able to top the defending Super Bowl champs and now they turn their attention to their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks who have the one seed and will host them from Lumen Field this weekend.
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