Super Bowl Odds Week 16: Drew Brees and the Saints Are Sitting Pretty in the NFC
Wow. It’s hard to believe that there are only two more games left in the 2019 NFL season. This means that we’re only a few weeks away from the NFL postseason. So, without further delay, here’s an updated look at the teams who have the best odds to win the Super Bowl in 2020 following Week 14.
Best Sportsbook 2019
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Third Best Super Bowl Odds: New England Patriots (+650). Last Week’s Odds (+450)
The New England Patriots were the team to beat on our weekly list for most of the season. Then, they went into a bit of a tailspin. In weeks 12 and 13, the Pats suffered back-to-back losses against the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, and they looked a bit shaky, to say the least. They wouldn’t drop a game against a one-win Cincinnati Bengals squad, would they?
Of course not. On the heels of their first two-game losing skid of the season, the Patriots bounced back with a much-needed, but hardly surprising, 34-13 win over the Bengals. Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes and the defense forced five turnovers, allowing New England to earn its 11th straight playoff berth. For the first time this season, the Patriots are the lowest team on this list and with a game against the Buffalo Bills looming, their playoff seeding hasn’t been determined yet.
But as experience has shown us, this team tends to rise to the occasion just when you’re ready to write them off. And because they’ve been here so many times, it wouldn’t be wise to count them out at this point.
Second Best Super Bowl Odds: New Orleans Saints (+600). Last Week’s Odds (+800)
The New Orleans Saints weren’t on last week’s list. But thanks to a dominating 34-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts, they come in this week at the No. 2 spot, ahead of the mighty Patriots. This contest wasn’t a matter of whether the Saints would win, but how many records would future Hall of Famer Drew Brees set in the process. He became the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, surpassing Peyton Manning. He also set a record for the highest completion percentage in a game, completing 29 of 30 passes (96.7 percent) for 307 yards.
Even more important, the Saints improved to 11-3 on the season, and are still in the running for one of the top two seeds in the NFC playoff race. With games against the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers on the horizon, the Saints are hoping to keep the pressure on the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers, who are also 11-3.
Best Super Bowl Odds: Baltimore Ravens (+225). Last Week’s Odds (+235)
The Baltimore Ravens came into their matchup against the New Jets having won each of their previous nine games. Despite the difference of talent between the two teams, this contest had all the makings of a trap game. Fortunately, the Ravens didn’t overlook their opponent. Far from it. The Ravens began the game scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions, to take a 21-7 lead at halftime and an even larger 35-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, before coasting to a 42-21 win.
MVP candidate Lamar Jackson completed 15 of his 23 passes for 212 yards to go along with five touchdowns. He also ran for 86 yards on eight attempts, eclipsing Michael Vick’s single-season record for a quarterback. Vick ran for 1,039 yards back in 2006 while playing for the Atlanta Falcons. After clinching a playoff berth against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, the Ravens clinched the AFC North title for the second straight season.
And even though they can assure themselves the top overall seed in the AFC with a win against the Cleveland Browns next week, this team is far from being satisfied. That intangible is just one of several reasons why this team should be viewed as a formidable postseason opponent on multiple fronts.
