Your Super Bowl 2021 Odds After Tom Brady Chooses Tampa
By: James Tillman
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were a staple in the NFL. One could say that they were like peanut butter and jelly where one just doesn’t seem right without the other. However, Brady and Patriots were defeated in the wildcard round of this year’s playoffs by the Tennessee Titans.
Despite testing the free-agency market, the consensus was that Brady and Patriots would be an item again going into the 2020 NFL season. Much to the surprise of everyone, Brady ended his 20-year run with the Patriots and signed a two-year, $50 million deal (all guaranteed) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Did the addition of TB-12 improve Tampa Bay’s chances of competing for the Super Bowl next season?
Here’s a look at the teams with the best odds of winning it all in 2021.
Fifth-Best Super Bowl 2021 Odds: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1600)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have missed the playoffs in each of the past 12 seasons. No, that is not a misprint. Although they finished at 7-9 in 2019, there are a couple of noteworthy items worth discussing. For starters, the Buccaneers averaged 28.6 points per outing, which was the third-highest scoring output in the NFL. Tampa Bay’s offense featured a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Chris Godwin (86 receptions, 1,333 yards, and nine touchdowns) and Mike Evans (67 catches, 1,157 yards, and eight touchdowns).
Considering that their offense was one of the best in the league behind a quarterback who threw 30 interceptions, one can only imagine what the offense will look like with a six-time Super Bowl champ under center. The Bucs are currently tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the fifth–best odds, but that may change as the season approaches.
Fourth-Best Super Bowl LV Odds: New Orleans Saints (+1400)
The New Orleans Saints are coming off a season in which they finished as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, going 13-3. Despite their impressive record though, they suffered a 26-20 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings in the wildcard round of the playoffs. While Drew Brees contemplated his future following that loss, he ultimately decided to return to the Saints for his 20th NFL season. Behind a guy who is the all-time NFL leader in both passing yards (77,416) and touchdowns (541), look for the Saints to be in the thick of another competitive conference playoff race.
Third-Best Super Bowl 2021 Odds: San Francisco 49ers (+900)
The San Francisco 49ers were the top overall seed in the NFC, and they had a remarkable playoff run as well. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round and knocked off the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game. Furthermore, they were on the brink of a championship before coughing up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The Niners had the top rushing offense and the third-best overall defense in 2019. If they can keep their key players in the fold, they should be viewed as a potential contender in 2020 as well.
Second-Best Super Bowl LV Odds: Baltimore Ravens (+750)
Early on, the Baltimore Ravens weren’t viewed as a title contender in 2019 after splitting their first four games of the season. After their mediocre start though, the Ravens went on to win 12 straight games to finish the season with a franchise-best 14-2 record. Furthermore, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named league MVP.
Unfortunately, while Baltimore seemed primed for a deep postseason run, that didn’t come to fruition, as they were defeated by the Tennessee Titans 28-12 in the divisional round. This was quite the disappointment for a team that finished first in total offense and second in total defense. With the memory of a very poor showing in the postseason, look for the Ravens to make another run at representing the AFC in the next year’s Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 2021 Odds On Favorite: Kansas City Chiefs (+600)
The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2019 campaign with a 12-4 record along with the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Kansas City was a perfect 6-0 in their division while winning seven of their eight home games. Moreover, they finished with the third-best point differential in the NFL. Although the Chiefs had a solid regular season, their playoff run proved to be even more memorable. In the divisional round, they overcame a 24-point deficit before going on to beat the Houston Texans 51-31.
In the conference championship game, Kansas City trailed by 10 points before rallying for a 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans. Then in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs were staring at another double-digit deficit with 6:32 left to play. Once again, the Chiefs rallied, scoring 21 consecutive points as they went on to defeat the 49ers 31-20. It represented the team’s first championship in 50 years. Considering they are the defending champions; the Chiefs deserve to be viewed as the team with the best odds to win it again in 2021.