Here’s what the Vegas odds say about the Chiefs chances to win the Super Bowl
It’s been 16 years since the NFL had a repeat champion.
The Chiefs are tracking to break the streak.
At least according to the oddsmakers in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs open the postseason as the betting favorite to win Super Bowl LV, and it’s by a wide margin. They are listed at 2-to-1 on most sportsbooks, meaning a bet of $100 would profit $200.
The Packers are second on the sheet at 9-to-2, followed by the Bills (7-1), Saints (7-1), Buccaneers (10-1), Ravens (11-1), Seahawks (13-1), Steelers (21-1), Titans (28-1), Rams (30-1), Colts (40-1), Browns (50-1), Bears (80-1) and Washington (80-1).
The standout there? The Ravens have considerably better odds than the Steelers, despite having zero home games as the No. 5 seed. There is a scenario in which the Ravens, winners of five straight, could play in Kansas City next weekend for the AFC Divisional Round. The oddsmakers believe that would be the Chiefs’ toughest potential matchup among the four possibilities.
The Chiefs remain the strongest odds for the Super Bowl regardless — though not quite as strong as they had only a few weeks ago. They dropped as low as 8-to-5 at one point. If you had confidence in a repeat, the best time to wager on it would have been before the season, when the Chiefs were listed at 13-to-2.
You’’ll notice the oddsmakers project the Packers to come out of the NFC. If true, that would make for some fine storylines — it would be a rematch of Super Bowl I, which the Packers won 35-10.
Several sportsbooks have also released Super Bowl Most Valuable Player odds, and considering they like the Chiefs to win it, it’s unsurprising who is listed atop that sheet. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 3-to-1 to take home the honor for the second straight season. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the second favorite at 6-to-1. Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce are both 20-to-1.
One final recap of the regular season: the Chiefs finished 7-9 against the spread this regular season, despite starting the year 6-2 there. They were 13-5-1 against the spread last season, including the three playoff games.
Miami and Buffalo were the league’s best teams to bet on in 2020, each finishing 11-5 against the spread. Dallas was the league’s least profitable wager, going 5-11.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 10:29 AM.