The New England Patriots get a lot of love from the sports media but the Pittsburgh Steelers could be the team that represents the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Why? The Steelers are a complete team that plays well on offense, defense and special teams. Ben Roethlisberger has finished the season strong, winning the AFC North division and ensuring a home playoff game.
The Steelers will play in the Wild Card round against the Miami Dolphins. It should be noted that the Dolphins were recently decimated by the New England Patriots. The Dolphins have had a good season but they will need everything to go wrong for the Steelers in order to win this game.
In fact, oddsmakers have given the Steelers a 10 point advantage in this game. Laveon Bell will likely control the pace of the game as the Steelers will use him as their primary offensive weapon.
Antonio Brown will also have a big day as the Dolphins have had problems defending the deep threat. The Steelers look like one of the hottest teams entering the NFL playoffs. Expect a clash between the Steelers and Patriots at some point during the 2016-2017 NFL playoffs.
Could Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers win the NFC playoffs and once again go to the Super Bowl? Just 6 weeks ago, the Packers had a losing records and teams were routinely scoring over 30 points against them.
Since then, the Packers have won 6 straight games which has given them the NFC North division title as well as a home playoff game. The Packers are set to play the Giants on Wild Card Weekend. The game will take place at Lambeau Field on January 8th 2017.
The Packers will need to take care of business against the Giants in order to have a shot at the rest of the teams in the NFC. If the Packers can defeat the Giants, they can prove that their 6 game winning streak is no fluke.
Aaron Rodgers has had an MVP like season although many sports analysts have not given him credit for putting up such stellar numbers. The Green Bay defense also deserves recognition considering that they have played better during the end of the season.
Could Green Bay stay red hot during the playoffs and surprise the NFL? Green Bay is currently a 4.5 point favorite against the Giants in their Wild Card game.
The New York Giants are the only team to defeat the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, the Giants have defeated the Cowboys twice in the regular season.
When you look at the NFC Playoff race through these lenses, it’s easy to see why betting the on the New York Giants to win the Super Bowl might be a good value play.
The Giants will go into the playoffs as a 5 seed, which means they will play on the road in the wild card game. If the Giants can preserve, there’s a chance that they could play Dallas again in the divisional round. If the Giants do not play the Cowboys in the divisional round but make it to the NFC Conference Championship game, that’s the game where it is most likely that they would meet the Cowboys.
Each time the Giants have won the Super Bowl in the past decade, they’ve always finished the season strong and got hot in the playoffs. Eli Manning is a veteran quarterback who already has 2 Super Bowl wins. Could we possibly see a Giants Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl?
Currently, odds makers are giving the Giants a 25/1 chance of winning Super Bowl XLI. Considering the fact that the Giants are the Cowboy’s kryptonite, betting on the Giants to win the Super Bowl might be a good bet because you can always hedge against them if you think they’ll lose against the AFC opponent.
The Green Bay Packers could be one of the biggest surprises of the year. Despite playing poorly in the beginning of the season, the Packers have found their stride at the end of the season as they have defeated teams and avenged losses from earlier in the season.
Although the Packers have been inconsistent on defense throughout the season, the Packers defense has turned it on throughout the end of the season. On offense, Aaron Rodgers has played like an MVP. Media analysts have quietly dismissed Aaron Rodgers impressive stats as quarterback this season. Sports bettors can use this information to their advantage. Currently, the Packers are sitting in the 6th seed of the NFL playoffs. They have two games against left against NFC North opponents. If the Packers defeat the Lions in the final week of the season, the Packers could very well find themselves with a home playoff game.
If the Packers are hitting their stride at the right time, the Packers could find themselves in the Super Bowl at the end of this year. Sports betting websites say that the Packers have a 15/1 shot to win the Super Bowl. 2016 has been a year full of surprises; Could the Packers surprise the league by winning the Super Bowl in 2017?
Could the Miami Dolphins have a chance at winning the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LI? It may seem far fetched but the Dolphins might be able to secure the 6th and final playoff spot in the AFC. If they are able to sneak into the playoffs, the Dolphins could be a threat during the 2016 NFL postseason.
Going into Week 16, the Dolphins will face off against the Bills who just recently fired coaches Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan. If the Dolphins are able to defeat the Bills, PlayoffStatus.com says that the Dolphins will have a 72% chance of locking up the 6th and final playoff spot on the AFC side.
The Steelers are currently the #3 seed in the AFC playoff picture and that won’t likely change. The Steelers would likely host the Dolphins in the first round of the playoffs. What’s intriguing about this matchup is that the Steelers lost to the Dolphins by 15 points in Week 6.
Could the Dolphins make a playoff run? The team is dealing with injuries in key positions which could hamper a the Dolphins Super Bowl LI ambitions. FootballLocks.com says that the Dolphins are 150/1 odds to win the Super Bowl. While it’s unlikely that the Dolphins will win the Super Bowl, it may be a good idea to put down a small wager on the Dolphins just in case.
Week 14 produced several unexpected results. When you consider the fact that the Raiders, Seahawks and Cowboys all put up losing performances, it really makes you wonder if a lower seeded team has a chance to make a run during the playoffs.
After the Chiefs defeated the Raiders in Week 14, you have to wonder if the balanced Chiefs attack will help them seal up a Super Bowl LI berth. If the NFL playoffs were to start today, the Chiefs would get the #2 playoff seed in the AFC. Could the Chiefs and Patriots possibly play each other in the AFC conference championship game?
The Chiefs are currently getting 12/1 betting odd to win the Super Bowl in 2017. This might seem like a decent bet considering the fact that the Chiefs are playing pretty solid. The only downside to the Chiefs is that they can be inept on offense. With that in mind, Jeremy Maclin should be back on the field for the playoffs and Spencer Ware is earning his paycheck as a multi-talented running back.
When you factor in Travis Kelce at TE, it’s possible that the Chiefs could find a path to the Super Bowl. If the Chiefs find a way to make it into the Super Bowl
There’s no doubt that 2016 has been the year of surprises. Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers find a way into the playoffs and potentially win Super Bowl LI? Anything is possible in the NFL that’s what makes the games so much fun to watch.
Currently, sportsbooks are laying the Buccaneers 50/1 odds to win the Super Bowl this year. That’s great price, considering the fact that the Buccaneers have defeated several quality teams. When you watch the Bucs play, two things become clear:
* Jameis Winston is playing better
* Tampa Bay’s defense is stepping up
It also doesn’t hurt that the team is getting healthier by the weak. Mike Evans might be the best deep threat that no one is talking about this season. Doug Martin has come back from injury and the team finds itself in the midst of a 4 game winning streak going into Week 14.
If the Buccaneers defeat the Saints and the Falcons stumble against the Rams, the Buccaneers would find themselves in 1st place. If the Falcons beat the Rams, the Buccaneers are still in a great spot to win the NFL Wild Card.
As it stands now, if Tampa Bay were to be the #6 team in the NFC playoffs, they’d likely face Lions in the first round. If the Bucs beat the Lions, they’d likely play the Cowboys. If the Bucs could somehow beat Dallas, they could likely prove that they have what it takes to win the Super Bowl in 2017.
Going into Week 13 of the NFL season, the NFC South division is has 3 teams separated by 2 games going into the final stretch of the season. The Falcons have surprised the league by leading the NFC South with a record of 7-4 while the Buccaneers are in 2nd with a 6-5 record.
The Saints are 3rd in the division with a record of 5-6 while the Panthers have surprised everyone by assembling a record of 4-7. With one more loss, the Panthers could potentially be eliminated from the playoff picture.
While the Saints are in 3rd place, 5 of their 6 losses have come by 1 score or less. The Saints lack help on defense but when the team is able to play in a dome, they are able light up the scoreboard against any team in the league.
The Buccaneers must play the Saints twice in final few weeks of the NFL season. In fact, the Falcons end their season against the Saints, which could prove to be a pivotal game.
The NFC South division is too close for anyone to know who will the division outright. It’s entirely possible that the division champion and runner up will finish with the same record.
In this scenario, the playoff spot would be given to the team with the best inter-conference record or the best heads up record against the team that they are tied with.
If you have been following the 2016 NFL season, you probably know that anything can and will happen. Much of the early money has been on the Seahawks and Patriots for Super Bowl LI. Let’s explore some alternative possibilities for potential matchups in Super Bowl LI.
Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys
Could these two former football dynasties rise back to prominence under their young quarterbacks? Raiders QB Derek Carr is a 3rd year quarterback who has developed into one of the leagues most accurate passers. Dak Prescott is benefiting from his pinpoint accuracy while also being protected by one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Oakland and Dallas could very well meet each other in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are getting 5/1 betting odds to win Super Bowl LI while Oakland is getting 18/1 odds.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Denver Broncos can never be counted out of the Super Bowl. While Trevor Siemian is a game managing quarterback at best, teams have won the Super Bowl with game managers at the starting QB position.
Like the Broncos, the Seahawks are always a threat to make the playoffs as well. The Seahawks seem to be playing better than they did earlier in the year. Doug Baldwin seems to have found his stride while Russell Wilson looks to be in complete control of the team.
Online sportsbooks have listed the Seahawks at 5/1 favorites to win the Super Bowl while the Denver Broncos are being listed at 20/1 betting odds.
Many NFL analysts believe that the Super Bowl 51 matchup is destined to be the Seahawks vs. The Patriots. After watching Doug Baldwin score 3 TDs on the New England Patriots in Foxborough, many NFL analysts are wondering if these two teams are on a collision course for the Super Bowl in 2017.
If you go back and look at the history of teams that travel over 3,000+ miles on a short week like Seattle did, you’ll understand that the team’s raw percentage of winning against the Patriots would have been low. Even though Russell Wilson and the Seahawks had the deck stacked against them, they still found a way to emerge victorious and become a serious contender for the Lombardi Trophy.
Are the Patriots a lock for the Super Bowl? You really have to examine the AFC to see if there is any team that will be able to beat them. It looks more likely that the Patriots could be the number 1 overall seed in the AFC, which will lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
If you look at the AFC playoff picture, the Chiefs are tied with the Patriots for the best record in the conference at 7-2. The Raiders are also a surprising 7-2 and there’s only about a 10% of the Raiders missing the playoffs this year.
These two teams do not seem to be a problem for the Patriots and they will likely take care of business if they meet in the playoffs. Seattle has also proven to be dominant in its conference, so it’s very possible that we could see a Seahawks Patriots Super Bowl in 2017.