The end of any given regular season always hits hard. I’m sure I’ve written about this in the past, but it’s because I spend so much time moving through games that, when the amount of matchups is cut in half — and then some — it’s jarring. At the same time, this is also the time of the year when I can look ahead for the rest of the month and essentially put together a full picks article, just for the entirety of the postseason as opposed to the entirety of a given week.
And honestly, I love it. I am revitalized by the change in analysis and format.
With that, let’s dive right into the playoff predictions and, as always, start with the odds.
NFL Odds to Win Super Bowl LIV – Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook via TheLines.com:
1st Seed – Detroit Lions (3.2 to 1)
1st Seed – Kansas City Chiefs (3.7 to 1)
3rd Seed – Baltimore Ravens (6 to 1)
2nd Seed – Buffalo Bills (6.5 to 1)
2nd Seed – Philadelphia Eagles (7 to 1)
5th Seed – Minnesota Vikings (16 to 1)
7th Seed – Green Bay Packers (22 to 1)
3rd Seed – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30 to 1)
5th Seed – Los Angeles Chargers (35 to 1)
4th Seed – Los Angeles Rams (45 to 1)
6th Seed – Washington Commanders (55 to 1)
7th Seed – Denver Broncos (85 to 1)
4th Seed – Houston Texans (100 to 1)
6th Seed – Pittsburgh Steelers (100 to 1)
Last year, I wrote that it seemed like it were the San Francisco 49ers against the field in the NFC. This year, I want to focus on the AFC and its ‘big three’ teams. Is there anyone else who can challenge the Defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs besides the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens? I’ll touch on each team later in this article, but I wanted to highlight that those three rank above every other team in the National Football League except the Detroit Lions.
I always like to take some dart throws, but usually it’s in the context of “I could see this happening.” While I could theoretically see anything happening, I have to acknowledge that there are other paths to a potential home run play outside of the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. As much as I respect both of these teams for their coaching staffs and how they played this year, I can make an argument for more value elsewhere — and I will. I’ll take the chance that the surprise of the AFC doesn’t come from either Denver or Pittsburgh.
I’ll save everyone the suspense and get to one area where I could justify that aforementioned dart throw.