The Philadelphia Eagles ended a championship drought that extended back to 1960 with a pre-Super Bowl NFL title by winning Super Bowl LII. As thrilling as that ride was, will tough to duplicate their incredible run through the playoffs as underdogs with a backup quarterback. This is especially true when you now have a bull’s eye on your back, and there are 31 other teams even hungrier for Super Bowl glory in 2018.
As the NFL grinds its way through the offseason, free agency and the recent draft have pretty much shaped all 32 team’s roster heading into the 2018 regular season. That has also helped to create a bit more stable picture when it comes to BetOnline’s NFL futures odds to win Super Bowl LIII. Some of the usual suspects are high on the list, but after breaking down the betting odds, I believe that the following teams offer the best value in their betting odds to go all the way this season.
Super Bowl LIII Top Pick
The New England Patriots have been perennial favorites to win the Super Bowl under the guidance of Bill Belichick at head coach combined with the play of quarterback Tom Brady under center. With Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski back in the fold along with some offseason additions to add some depth, the Patriots’ odds to win the Super Bowl this time around coming off the loss to Philadelphia have been set at +625. It is hard to go against a team that has demonstrated a consistent level of success over such a long time frame. My only reservation with the New England is the past fate of any team losing the Super Bowl the following season.
Super Bowl LIII Top Contenders
Philadelphia has moved up and down this list a few times since winning it all last season, but the Eagles appear to have settled in as solid +800 second-favorites to defend that title successfully. The word out of Philly is that third-year quarterback Carson Wentz is ahead of schedule coming off knee surgery. The other plus is that backup Nick Foles, who was the MVP of Super Bowl LII has already proven he can fill the starting role if Wentz is not ready to go by Week 1. My concern for the Eagles is just how difficult it is to win back-to-back NFL titles.
Third on the list is the Minnesota Vikings at +1000 followed by the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers at +1200. Any of these teams have the right pieces in place to make a run at winning a world title, but my top-valued play at higher odds would be the Green Bay Packers at +1400. We all saw what Drew Brees meant to New Orleans last season, and this could be the year that everything falls into place for Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers having a big year at quarterback.
Super Bowl LIII Top Longshot Picks
There is some substantial value on the board as you move further down the list including the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at +2000. A healthy Deshaun Watson on offense and a healthy JJ Watt on defense make the Texans a very interesting play.
In an effort to stretch the betting odds even further for my top longshot, I am going with the Denver Broncos at +3300. Their biggest hurdle could be getting out of the AFC West in what could be the most competitive division race this season. Case Keenum should be playing with a massive chip on his shoulder after getting jettisoned by Minnesota after leading the Vikings to the NFC title game. You can always count on a solid effort from Denver on the other side of the ball with one of the best defenses in the league.
