By: James Tillman
Greetings and salutations football fans. Welcome back to our weekly look at the teams in the running to win it all in 2021. Following Week 1, the teams that were in the running for the title of championship contenders from a betting standpoint included the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Were these teams able to hold on to their respective positions or did were they bumped off the list? So, without further ado, here’s a look at the three teams with the best Super Bowl odds.
Third-Best Super Bowl Odds: New Orleans Saints (+1100). Last Week’s Odds (+1000)
The New Orleans Saints finished with one of the best records in the NFC in 2019. And they also won their season opener as well. Unfortunately, they came up a bit short against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2. Despite jumping out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, the Raiders manage to tie the game at 17 going into halftime.
Furthermore, the Raiders held the Saints to just seven points the rest of the way en route to a somewhat surprising 34-24 victory. Although the Saints didn’t fare too well against a team that didn’t make it to the playoffs last season, they should still be expected to contend for a postseason berth when it’s said and done.
Second-Best NFL Super Bowl Odds: Kansas City Chiefs (+500). Last Week’s Odds (No Change)
The Kansas City Chiefs overcame an early deficit against the Houston Texans in Week 1. If this sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s not the first time this squad has fallen behind early before going on to win the game. Following a 34-20 victory over the Houston Texans, the Chiefs were given all they could handle against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In this contest, the Chiefs were down 17-9 before outscoring the Chargers 11-3 in the fourth quarter, sending the two teams into an overtime period. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker would play the role of hero in this one, converting the game-winning 58-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in the extra session, giving Kansas City a 23-20 victory. Given the fact they are the defending champions, look for the Chiefs to be in the running all season long.
Best NFL 2021 Super Bowl Odds: Baltimore Ravens (+500). Last Week’s Odds (No Change)
The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2019 NFL season with 12 consecutive wins. For obvious reasons that fact gets lost in the shuffle when you flame out in the postseason. After steamrolling over the Cleveland Browns to the tune of 38-6 in their season opener, the Ravens took on the Texans in Week 2.
While the Texans put up more of a fight than the Browns did (as expected), the Ravens won the game by a 33-16 margin. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson completed 18 of his 24 passes for 204 yards, including one touchdown. The victory gave the Ravens their 14th straight regular-season victory and the longest such winning streak since the Carolina Panthers accomplished the feat back in 2014-15.
The Ravens and Chiefs are two of the best football teams in the AFC and it would be fitting if these two powerhouses met in the playoffs with a chance to play for the Super Bowl on the line.
