Good afternoon football fans. We are just three weeks away from the end of the 2021 NFL season. Last week, the teams that were considered the top title contenders included the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, the New Orleans Saints, and of course, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers were handed their second straight loss by the Buffalo Bills – who have won 10 games for the second straight season. Additionally, the Saints’ nine-game win streak was snapped by the Philadelphia Eagles. Yikes!
Did these losses knock either team out of the running as title favorites? Here’s an updated look at the teams with the best odds to win it all in 2021, based on their performances from Week 14 (according to Unibet).
Third-Best Super Bowl Odds:
New Orleans Saints (+700)
Last week (+500)
The Saints — who were tied for the second-best Super Bowl odds a week ago — were the hottest team in the league going into their Week 14 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only had they won nine straight, but they had also done so without the services of Drew Brees over the past three-and-a-half games. Unfortunately, that trend came to a screeching halt. Thanks to a defense that recorded five sacks on the day, the Eagles jumped out to a 17-0 lead before holding on for a 24-21 victory. The loss dropped New Orleans behind the Green Bay Packers for the top overall seed in the NFC. It doesn’t get any easier for New Orleans with a matchup against the Chiefs in Week 15. The good news is the Saints will conclude their season against the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers. In other words, they could still be in the running for the top seed in the conference.
Second-Best Super Bowl Odds:
Green Bay Packers (+650)
Last week (+800)
The Packers were tied for the third-best Super Bowl odds on our weekly list going into Week 14. And for the second time in three weeks, the Packers were squaring off against a divisional opponent. While the Packers cruised to an easy 41-25 victory against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago, Detroit proved to be a much more formidable opponent. In fact, the game was tied at 14 apiece going into halftime. But the Packers dominated the third quarter, thanks in part to a 14-play, 90-yard that concluded with a rushing touchdown by Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers defense forced a three-and-out on the Lions’ next possession before putting up another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Packers held on for a 31-24 victory, their third in a row. Thanks to the Saints’ loss, the Packers own the tiebreaker for the top record in the NFC. And just like the Saints, two of the Packers’ three remaining opponents have sub-.500 records (the Panthers in Week 15 and the Bears in the season finale). That said, Green Bay controls its destiny for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Super Bowl Odds Favorites:
Kansas City Chiefs (+180)
Last week (+210)
The fact that the Kansas City Chiefs have had the best Super Bowl odds comes as no surprise at this point, considering how well they’ve played over the past several weeks. Winners of their last seven, the Chiefs took on the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. Being that the Dolphins are in the hunt for a postseason berth, they were not going to go away quietly, and they trailed by a slim 14-10 margin going into the break. However, as Kansas City has done so many times this season, they created some separation in the second half, outscoring Miami 16-0 in the third quarter. Although the Dolphins rallied to score a pair of touchdowns in the final frame, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Chiefs from winning the game 33-27. On the heels of their eighth straight win, the Chiefs reached the 12-win mark for the third straight year and notched their fifth consecutive division title.
Even more important, the Chiefs have the best record in the NFL at 12-1. Simply put, if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon already, now would be a good time to do so.
