We are back for our weekly discussion about the teams considered to be the frontrunners to win the big game in 2021. A week ago, the list included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Two of these three teams posted victories, while the other team came up a bit short.
Taking that into consideration, it’s safe to predict that there would be a change to list this week, even if it’s only a slight one. So, without further delay, here are the teams that have the best odds to win the Super Bowl based on how they performed in Week 8.
Third-Best 2021 Super Bowl Odds: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+650). Last Week (+800)
The Buccaneers made their first appearance on our list last week and are holding steady at the No. 3 spot. Their Week 8 opponent was the one-win New York Giants. On paper, this should have been a mismatch, but it ended up being anything but that.
Thanks to an abysmal showing on both sides of the football, the Bucs trailed 14-6 going into intermission. Fortunately, they were able to turn things around in the second half. And thanks to successfully denying a Giants’ two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game in the final seconds, the Buccaneers escaped with a 25-23 win.
This marked the team’s third straight win, allowing them to finish the first half of the season with a 6-2 record. The last time Tampa Bay started 6-2 was back in 2002. That was also the year they won the Super Bowl. Coincidence? Only time will tell.
Second-Best 2021 Super Bowl Odds: Pittsburgh Steelers (+550). Last Week (NR)
The Pittsburgh Steelers were undefeated going into the Week 8 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Ironically, the Ravens had held down the No. 2 spot on our weekly list. Early on, the Ravens dominated and led by a 17-7 margin at the break.
However, Pittsburgh’s offense came to life in the second half. Ben Roethlisberger, who completed four passes totaling 24 yards in the first half, finished the day 21 of 32 for 182 yards. No, this was not an overly impressive performance by any means.
But thanks to a pair of touchdowns after the break, the Steelers pulled away for a 28-24 victory, matching their best start in franchise history. Not only that, but they are also the lone unbeaten team in the NFL.
Best 2021 Super Bowl Odds: Kansas City Chiefs (+350). Last Week (+400)
The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs continue to be the frontrunners in the championship odds race. For most of the season, we’ve been talking about how their aerial attack hadn’t been what fans had come to expect with Patrick Mahomes under center.
Well, that trend changed when they took on the New York Jets in Week 8. In that contest, Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes for 416 yards to go along with a season-best five touchdowns. To put this stat into perspective, the Jets have only recorded a total of four touchdown passes this season.
Based on those numbers, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Chiefs won this one going away 35-9. With an upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers, look for Kansas City to remain the odds-on favorites in this race.
