Super Bowl 2015: Latest Championship Odds and Divisional-Round Predictions
Football fans are currently immersed in the excitement surrounding the AFC and NFC Divisional Round, but the focus is beginning to shift toward the 2015 Super Bowl for the NFL fans without a horse left in the race.
The playoffs feature a heavy dosage of perennial Super Bowl contenders, but there are also a few franchises in foreign territory. The result of the mismatches on paper could be some of the most shocking outcomes of the entire season.
Here are the latest odds for the Super Bowl, a full schedule and predictions for the divisional round and a quick preview of the top championship dark horse.
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| New England Patriots | 12-4 | 10-3 |
| Denver Broncos | 12-4 | 6-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 11-5 | 18-1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 10-6 | 18-1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 12-4 | 2-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 12-4 | 11-2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 12-4 | 7-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7-8-1 | 25-1 |
*Betting information via Odds Shark (as of Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. ET).
| Jan. 10 | Baltimore Ravens (6) vs. New England Patriots (1) | 4:35 p.m. | NBC | Patriots |
| Jan. 11 | Indianapolis Colts (4) vs. Denver Broncos (2) | 4:40 p.m. | CBS | Broncos |
| Jan. 10 | Carolina Panthers (4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (1) | 8:15 p.m. | Fox | Seattle |
| Jan. 11 | Dallas Cowboys (3) vs. Green Bay Packers (2) | 1:05 p.m. | Fox | Green Bay |
Super Bowl Dark Horse: Baltimore Ravens
The 2015 NFL playoffs have some of the best teams in the league fighting for a championship, but one team not getting the love it deserves is the Baltimore Ravens. As the official NFL on ESPN Twitter account pointed out, no team is hotter in the postseason:
Led by quarterback Joe Flacco, Baltimore racked up 30 points on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round and looked to be one of the strongest teams in the postseason. Even after the Ravens' success last weekend, few fans are giving the team a shot over the New England Patriots.
Baltimore has played well against the Patriots over the recent years, but the previous outcomes will have no impact on Saturday’s matchup. When asked about the long history between the two teams, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com, “I don’t think it really matters. It’s a new game. Really, the past, the future, it’s just whoever plays best Saturday afternoon is going to be the team that wins the game.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Baltimore has overcome cutting Ray Rice to amass the eighth-ranked rushing attack (averaging 126.2 yards per game), led by veteran Justin Forsett. While Forsett has worn down as the season progressed, he is still a dynamic runner behind the talented Ravens offensive line.
Through the air, Flacco and the entire offense struggled with consistency but still managed 238.7 yards per game. With both Torrey Smith and Steve Smith healthy and playing well at wide receiver, every team left in the postseason should be taking note of the Baltimore pass attack.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens have struggled at times in the secondary due to several key injuries. The unit has improved over the course of the season but still finished the regular season 23rd overall, allowing 248.7 yards per game.
The lackluster pass defense was more than made up for by the elite run-stopping unit, which finished the season fourth in the league (allowing just 88.3 rushing yards per game.) Add in the return of defensive end Haloti Ngata from suspension, and the defensive unit for Baltimore will be tough to beat.
If the Ravens can pull off another upset victory over New England and continue building momentum, there are few teams in the NFL who could stop Baltimore in postseason circumstances.
*Stats via NFL.com.
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