Super Bowl winner predictions 2017

Super Bowl predictions betting

By Bob Duff

Our favorites for Super Bowl LI, with odds courtesy of Bovada.lv:

New England Patriots (+180)

As long as Bill Belichick is running the show and Tom Brady is at the helm, it would seem to be pure folly to bet against the Patriots. And at 38, Brady knows that time is running out and this might be one of his last chances to win it all.

After a 14-2 season and rolling into the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak, the Patriots again look like the unstoppable force that simply knows how to get the job done in postseason play. Brady has started 31 playoff games and under his leadership the Patriots are 63-13 in December and January. 

If New England has a weakness, it's on the defensive side of the ball where the Patriots don't have a presence in terms of a pass rush. If the Patriots give a high-end QB too much time in the pocket, it could prove to be their downfall.

Dallas Cowboys (+450)

The drive to make America's Team great again enters the playoff phase filled with optimism and dreams of past glory. Has it really been 21 years since the Cowboys played in the Super Bowl?

So, are these Cowboys capable of lassoing a return to the big game? In some ways, the answer looks to be a resounding yes. Quarterback Dak Prescott is the NFL's feel good story but rookie QBs and Super Bowl victories don't come in a boxed set. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, another rookie, is a sensation who can singlehandedly take charge of a game.

The Dallas defense is at best mediocre - 14th overall in the NFL, 26th-best at defending the pass. And the 13-3 Cowboys could very well run into the New York Giants along the playoff trail, the team responsible for two of their losses.

Green Bay Packers (+725)

Sure, the Pack is back, Aaron Rodgers looks to be in Super Bowl-winning form and all is wonderful again in Titletown, U.S.A. So why then does is just feel like something's not right in Green Bay?

Oh yeah, there it is, the Packers' 22nd-ranked defense. There's still plenty of issues with this team, too many to back them as a Super Bowl champion.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+800)

The sexy pick to win it all back in the fall, the Steelers' 2016 campaign was a bumpy ride but one that they ultimately survived at 11-5.

The NFL's deepest and most potent offense is lead by lethal finisher Ben Roethlisberger but can Pittsburgh's young, improving defense do enough to get the Ste to the Promised Land?

Atlanta Falcons (+800)

It would be nice to build a case for the Falcons as legitimate contenders but what have they done to be worthy of that mantle?

The Falcons have won just one playoff game since 2005 and Matt Ryan is 1-4 as a playoff QB. Atlanta has much to prove.

Kansas City Chiefs (+925)

Remember how your mom said there were types that your married and types that you went with for fun and adventure? Well, the Chiefs are the former in this debate.

Kansas City is well-coached, as the Chiefs' 22-4 record over their last 26 games emphasizes, and they rarely beat themselves. But their offense is simply too constricted and conservative to get them to the big dance.

Seattle Seahawks (+1200)

You look at that price and based on Seattle's recent playoff history, want to be all over the Seahawks. But hold your horses. 

These are not the Seahawks of recent years. The offensive line is full of holes, QB Russell Wilson is hobbled and Seattle doesn't look to have the same swagger we're used to seeing from this team.

New York Giants (+1200)

Now here's a price to like. This could be your Super Bowl sleeper team. It has been in the past.

The Giants send out a defense capable of winning it all. They've beaten Dallas twice and QB Eli Manning has won two Super Bowls and two playoff games at Lambeau Field, where the road starts for the Giants this postseason.

Pick: Patriots (+180) over Giants (+1200)

Category : News

More articles...