Super Bowl 2022: Full NFL Playoff Odds and Bold Predictions
January 16, 2022Super Bowl 2022: Full NFL Playoff Odds and Bold Predictions
The Cincinnati Bengals notched their first playoff victory since 1991, while the Buffalo Bills opened the postseason in dominant fashion. Those two AFC teams advanced to the divisional round with their wins Saturday, but there's still plenty of Wild Card Round action to come.
Three games are set to take place Sunday, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles), Dallas Cowboys (vs. San Francisco 49ers) and Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers) will all look to avoid upsets. Then the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will face off in a battle of NFC West rivals to conclude the Wild Card Round on Monday night.
On Saturday, the Bengals held on for a 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders before the Bills cruised to a 47-17 victory over the New England Patriots. With the Raiders and Pats eliminated, the NFL playoff field is down to 12 teams. That number will drop to eight by Monday night.
As the Wild Card Round continues, here's a look at the latest Super Bowl odds, followed by several bold predictions for the rest of the playoffs.
Latest Super Bowl Odds
Green Bay Packers: +380 (bet $100 to win $380)
Kansas City Chiefs: +450
Buffalo Bills: +450
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +800
Tennessee Titans: +850
Los Angeles Rams: +1000
Cincinnati Bengals: +1100
Dallas Cowboys: +1200
San Francisco 49ers: +2000
Arizona Cardinals: +2500
Philadelphia Eagles: +6000
Pittsburgh Steelers: +9000
The Packers Will Go 0-1 in the Playoffs
The Packers went 13-4 during the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl as the playoffs get underway. However, their postseason run may not be nearly as long as some are expecting it to be.
It's highly likely that the Packers will be hosting an NFC West team in the divisional round, as any one of the No. 4 Rams, No. 5 Cardinals or No. 6 49ers could be heading to Lambeau Field. The prediction here is that the three NFC home teams will win in the Wild Card Round, setting up a matchup between Green Bay and Los Angeles.
When the Packers and Rams played in Week 12, Green Bay pulled away in the third quarter and went on to secure a 36-28 victory. However, Los Angeles then won five straight games before losing to San Francisco in overtime in its regular-season finale.
The Rams offense could present a challenging matchup for the Packers defense, especially if Los Angeles can avoid turnovers—it committed three in its previous game against Green Bay. And although the Rams lost in Week 18, they have been playing much better since their loss to the Packers.
Seven of Green Bay's past eight games have been against teams that didn't reach the playoffs. With the Packers set to face more difficult competition, they are going to lose their postseason opener and fall well short of their goal of winning the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs Will Cruise to 3rd Straight AFC Title
The Tennessee Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Bills and Bengals both impressed while winning in the Wild Card Round. However, the conference championship won't be going to any of those teams. Instead, it will be once again heading to Kansas City.
While the AFC has been competitive for most of the season and the race has seemed wide-open, the Chiefs know what it takes to win games this time of year. They have made it to the AFC Championship Game in each of the past three years, and they have won two conference titles and one Super Bowl championship during that span.
And Kansas City will win a third straight AFC title. After a 3-4 start to the season, the Chiefs won nine of their final 10 regular-season games. That may not have been enough for them to capture the top seed, but they are still in a great position as the No. 2 seed.
On Sunday night, Kansas City will have no trouble beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, whom the Chiefs beat 36-10 in Week 16. Kansas City will then get to stay at home for the divisional round, and it's possible it will host the AFC Championship Game if Tennessee can't make it there.
The Chiefs have a bunch of talented, experienced players on both sides of the ball, and head coach Andy Reid has succeeded at guiding them through the playoffs in recent years. Don't expect anything different this season. And while Kansas City could face some competitive games, it will be making it back to the Super Bowl.
The Rams Will Make a Run to Super Bowl Title
It's been 22 years since the Rams have won the Super Bowl. But they may not have to wait much longer to celebrate a championship. In fact, it's going to happen in February.
Although Los Angeles is the No. 4 seed in the NFC and faced some adversity during the regular season, it hasn't yet played its best football. With so much talent on their roster and a head coach in Sean McVay who has gotten them to the Super Bowl before, the Rams will end the 2021 campaign as champions.
This is Matthew Stafford's first legitimate chance at a deep postseason run, as he went 0-3 in the playoffs over his 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions. He will be motivated to lead Los Angeles through the postseason, and he has the talent around him on offense to make it happen.
The Rams also have a bunch of playmakers on defense who should deliver with the stakes raised. They will be tested against some tough offenses, but the unit tied for third in interceptions during the regular season. If it can create turnovers, that will give Los Angeles more opportunities, which should be a formula for success.
Super Bowl LVI will be a competitive game between the Rams and Chiefs. However, it will be Los Angeles that prevails at SoFi Stadium, becoming the second team in a row to win the Super Bowl at its home stadium after Tampa Bay accomplished the feat last year.
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