NFL Super Bowl 2023: Futures Championship Betting Preview

Overtime Heroics Editorial

450 days ago

The Buffalo Bills have emerged as the favorites to win Super Bowl 57 after luring Von Miller to New York with a $120 million contract. However, they will face fierce competition from several elite teams, including the Buccaneers, the Chiefs and the Rams.

Let’s take a look at the leading contenders for Super Bowl glory and their chances of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.

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Buffalo Bills

The Bills went for broke in the offseason. They may eventually regret handing a six-year, $120 million contract to a 33-year-old linebacker, but it will be worth it if Miller leads them to the Super Bowl.

Buffalo also tied Stefon Diggs down to a $104 million extension, brought in Rodger Saffold and Tim Settle, and bolstered their offense by signing Kaiir Elam and James Cook in the draft. This is undoubtedly a team that is built to win now.The Bills suffered a brutal overtime defeat to the Chiefs in the divisional round last season, but they should be stronger this time around. Josh Allen is now in the prime of his career, and he has the talent to lead his team deep into the playoffs. He now has even more weapons at his disposal. Miller will bring a winning mentality to the franchise, having powered the Rams to Super Bowl glory last season, so it is easy to see why the Bills are the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

They face a stern test of their mettle in week 1. They have opened as the 1-point underdogs for their trip to LA to face the Rams in the NFL Kickoff Game, and it promises to be an enthralling clash, as the best NFL bets week 1 suggest. Away teams have a poor record in the Kickoff Game, so a win for Buffalo will send the hype surrounding this team into the stratosphere.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs were installed as +2500 outsiders to win the Super Bowl after legendary QB Tom Brady retired at the end of last season. However, his retirement lasted just 40 days. The odds on Tampa winning Super Bowl 57 have now dipped to +700 after Brady reversed his retirement decision.

That makes the Bucs the narrow second favorites, just behind the Bills in the futures betting. Brady led them to victory at Super Bowl 55, and they were ultimately unlucky to suffer a 30-27 defeat to the Rams in last season’s divisional round. They were 20-3 down at half-time, but Brady’s heroics dragged them to within an inch of securing a famous comeback.

His performance suggested he still has something left in the tank. He will not be short of weapons, with the underrated Russell Gage arriving from Atlanta. They face stern competition from the Rams, the Packers and the 49ers in the NFC, but they are arguably the most complete team in the conference.

Kansas City Chiefs

A brave new era gets underway in Kansas City this year. The Chiefs offloaded their top three wide receivers – Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle – in the offseason. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore to provide Patrick Mahomes with a new set of weapons, and it will be interesting to see how quickly they can form an effective offensive unit.

A year ago, the Chiefs were the clear preseason favorites for the Super Bowl. Expectations have been tempered somewhat this time around in the wake of Hill’s departure, but they still look perfectly capable of securing a top seed in the AFC. Mahomes remains an elite threat, with a solid WR core at his disposal. He will engage in fierce duels with Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson in the AFC West this season, but the Chiefs’ high-powered offense should see them top the division. They have enough quality to secure a fifth consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship Game, and odds of +1000 on them winning the Super Bowl look tempting.

Los Angeles Rams

Can the Rams become the first team to go back-to-back since the Patriots in 2005? The loss of Miller is a blow, as is the departure of Andrew Whitworth, but Sean McVay’s star has never burned brighter, and Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford will be desperate to add more hardware.

Allen Robinson looks like a shrewd signing, and Tutu Atwell is ready to make a leap, so Stafford should not be too reliant on Cooper Kupp. It is extremely difficult to repeat, but the Rams have a great chance.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers should cruise into the playoffs by winning the NFC North once again. Aaron Rodgers has signed on for another four years, putting an end to speculation over his future, and he will aim for a third consecutive NFL MVP title.

He has lost his leading receiver, with All-Pro talent Devante Adams heading to Las Vegas, but Sammy Watkins is a solid replacement. Aaron Jones has been on an upward curve too, now boasting three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and double-digit touchdowns. A.J. Dillon is an exciting talent, and the defense is stout.

This may well be the most complete Packers team since Matt LaFleur took the reins. There is a sense of urgency, as Rodgers will turn 39 soon, and this season will only be deemed a success if Green Bay wins the Super Bowl. A showdown between the Packers and the Bucs in the NFC Championship game would be a monumental occasion.

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The Rest

The Los Angeles Chargers stepped up in free agency by bringing in Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson to transform their defensive fortunes. The defense was their Achilles heel last season, but they should be more solid now, with Austin Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day also joining the Bolts. Justin Herbert was superb last season, so the Chargers could be dangerous this time around. They are sixth in the pecking order, according to the sportsbooks.

The Broncos are another interesting prospect at +1800 after adding Wilson. The Ravens lack depth, but the brilliance of Lamar Jackson gives them a chance in any game, while it would be foolish to write off the Bengals. Long shots include the Eagles and the Dolphins, so it should prove to be a fascinating season.

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