Our experts provide their best bets for the Super Bowl LVII matchup with several backing a Bengals-49ers Super Bowl.
One of the most alluring markets being offered by oddsmakers involves which two teams will emerge with the desired honor of representing their conference in Super Bowl LVII. Instead of needing to cover point spreads, bettors can invest in two teams who simply need to advance to the game’s biggest stage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12.
Will the two 1-seeds—the Chiefs and Eagles—use the bye and home field to their advantage and win two games? Or will one of the 12 teams playing in the wild-card round go on a run?
Can the Bills, 49ers and Vikings, who each won 13 games in the regular season, continue their winning ways and win three more games?
Can Joe Burrow and the Bengals make consecutive Super Bowl appearances? Will Tom Brady display his magic once again and lead the Buccaneers to their second big game appearance in the last three seasons?
So, which potential Super Bowl LVII matchup offers the best value? Our team here at Sports Illustrated is here to help.
Let’s see who our team envisions will be playing in Glendale next month!
Chiefs-Eagles +600
Chiefs-49ers +650
Bills-Eagles +700
Bills-49ers +800
Bengals-Eagles +1400
Bengals-49ers +1600
Chiefs-Cowboys +1600
Bills-Cowboys +2000
Chiefs-Vikings +2800
Chiefs-Buccaneers +3300
Charger-49ers +3300
Bills-Vikings +4000
Bills-Buccaneers +4000
Bengals-Cowboys +4000
Dolphins-Eagles +8000
Dolphins-49ers +10000
Bengals-Seahawks +200000
Dolphins-Vikings +400000
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
I don’t know about you, but I’m rooting for the Bills to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl (for obvious reasons). Buffalo has already beaten the Chiefs at Arrowhead this season and there won’t be a home-field advantage for an opposing team if the Bills reach the conference championship due to the canceled game against Cincinnati. The NFC is wide open and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Eagles didn’t get to the Super Bowl. I just don’t believe in any of the other NFC teams, including my beloved Cowboys, to take out the Eagles on their home field.
In the AFC, it’s the Bills’ time. Star quarterback Josh Allen will lead this high-powered offense that has already proven it can beat the Chiefs this season. Not only is Buffalo’s offense the second-best in the league, scoring 28.6 points per game, its defense is allowing less than 18 points per game, second only to the 49ers, who are my pick to win the NFC. The Niners boast an elite defense and steady offense that will eliminate the Eagles, who have a slightly banged-up Jalen Hurts at the helm, and Kyle Shanahan’s team will get another shot at the Lombardi for the NFC.
I am truly concerned about the health of Jalen Hurts’s shoulder and that leads me to land on San Francisco representing the NFC in Super Bowl LVII, despite starting a rookie quarterback. In the AFC, the massive showdown looming in the divisional round between the Bills and Bengals makes me shy away from investing in either club in future odds. I have no issue backing the best quarterback in football, who just led the league in passing yards for the first time in his career and should win MVP for the second time in his six-year career. I will happily grab the healthy +650 odds on two teams that have very favorable roads to their respective title games.
All year, we’ve been hammering home the idea that the NFC is much weaker than the AFC. Sure, there’s six other teams in the NFC playoff hunt beside the top-seeded Eagles, but which teams can really give them trouble? Perhaps the clearest answer is the 49ers, but pardon me if I’m not buying into the idea that a rookie quarterback can go on the road in the NFC championship and come out on top. So, my pick to represent the NFC is indeed the conference’s top team from Philadelphia. For the AFC, the competition is much more fierce. The case can be made for the Chiefs and Bengals but I’m picking the Bills. Their offense is just as good as Kansas City and Cincinnati’s and their defense is much better than the Chiefs and slightly better in some key categories compared to the Bengals. Eagles and Bills in Super Bowl LVII, lock it in at +700 odds.
While much of the conversation out of the AFC centers around the Chiefs and Bills, the Bengals are the team riding the longest win streak out of the trio. Winners of eight straight, Cincinnati will face the NFC’s hottest team—the 49ers. Winners of 10 straight, the Niners haven’t lost Oct. 23. By the time San Francisco suits up against Seattle on Saturday, Jan. 14, it will have been 83 days since the 49ers’ last loss. Nations have risen and fallen in such a span. I like the bang for your betting buck in this matchup.
I don’t see anyone knocking off the 49ers in the NFC, so the bottom line is a Bengals-49ers pick offers a much better payout than Chiefs-Niners or Bills-Niners. As to justifying the pick, here’s what we’re looking at: Assuming chalk wins this week, Cincinnati would play at Buffalo in the divisional round. As emotionally charged as the Bills were last week, the Dolphins still gave them a good run – with Skylar Thompson at quarterback. Even if they beat Miami again, they don’t get past Cincinnati. Advance to the AFC title game, and we know the Bengals have K.C.’s number. Then, we get Cincy-San Fran for the third time in Super Bowl history.
I was in on this matchup back in September at much longer odds and I’m not backing off either team. The Bills’ three losses have all been by three points or fewer, they’re the only team in the league that ranks in the top five in DVOA on offense and defense and they already proved they can beat the Chiefs, their toughest competition, on the road no less. When in doubt, trust Josh Allen. As for the Eagles, I understand having some hesitancy after they dropped two of their final three games and didn’t necessarily look like the No. 1 seed in Jalen Hurts’ Week 18 return. But that’s why it’s so important that this team earned the first-round bye. Philadelphia has a stout defense to back up its multifaceted offense and it was 13–1 with Hurts healthy, with several of those wins against fellow NFC playoff competitors.
I want to take the Bengals. I really do. But, at some point, Patrick Mahomes will finally beat Cincinnati. The Bengals can beat the Bills in the divisional round, and the Chiefs should finally down their rivals. The NFC is harder to prognosticate but the 49ers are the best team in the conference. Jalen Hurts not being fully healthy gives San Francisco the edge with that ferocious defense to get after him.
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