Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have officially won the 2020 Super Bowl, the Pro Football Network betting team is already looking at who could take it next season. According to Sports Betting Dime, the Chiefs are the early favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions, while the Miami Dolphins are considered real long shots. Only eight times in the history of the NFL have teams repeated as champions. So with that in mind, we take a look at who else is in the mix and who provides value at their current odds. Which out of these six storied franchises will win Super Bowl LV?
Which teams have value at their current Super Bowl betting odds?
Houston Texans +3500
Chris Smith
The Houston Texans were up 24-0 on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. They have a young, elite quarterback in Deshaun Watson and a talented group of skill players surrounding him. Yet, despite all that, the Texans are listed at +3500 to win the Super Bowl in 2021, tying them for seventh in the AFC behind teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns.
The Texans will enter the 2020 season without their top two draft picks thanks to the Laremy Tunsil acquisition early last season. Houston invested quite a bit last year to attempt to make a Super Bowl appearance.
The Houston Texans will also face an incredibly difficult schedule next season, including seven games against 2019 playoff teams. The reason I still believe the Texans hold value with regards to their Super Bowl odds lies partly in the fact that I think the AFC South will be weaker next season (I have Houston at +225 to repeat as division champs).
Derrick Henry appears primed to get a massive contract from some team other than the Tennessee Titans, and the uncertainty at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts leaves Frank Reich’s team in flux. I suspect Jacksonville will regret not parting ways with Doug Marrone somewhere in between their first and second London visit. If the Houston offensive line can keep Watson upright and J.J. Watt manages to stay healthy for the second half of the season, the Texans might be dangerous in the AFC. We know the Chiefs and Ravens will be good, but New England and Pittsburgh might finally be seeing the end of their dominance. I like the Texans at +3500 as a potential AFC dark horse.
Dallas Cowboys +2200
Chris Smith
The Dallas Cowboys are currently listed at +2200 to win Super Bowl 55 next season. Those are the fifth-best odds of any NFC team, tied with their divisional rival the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys were a major disappointment in 2019, finishing 8-8 and missing out on the postseason altogether despite ranking as a top-three NFC team according to overall efficiency ratings.
The Cowboys were first overall in the NFL in yards per play but managed to go just 1-6 in one-score games last season. Other online shops have Dallas as low as 16-1 to win the Super Bowl, so this number seems to have particular market value. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has replaced “professional clapper” Jason Garrett with former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
The Cowboys actually have a decent amount of cap space this offseason, but they are at a proverbial crossroads with three significant contributors in Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Byron Jones. Assuming they get the quarterback situation cleared up, Dallas could probably withstand to lose either of Cooper or Jones and replace them via the draft or free agency.
Looking at the Cowboys 2020 Super Bowl expectations should also involve analyzing whether or not they win the NFC East and potentially earn a bye in the playoffs. With an easier schedule and more talented skill position players than the Eagles, I expect the Cowboys to bounce back and the East, especially with the Redskins and Giants still at least one year away from contending.
Next, we dissect who else we are projecting to be in the NFC playoffs to compete with the Cowboys. At this point in the offseason, we really don’t have enough information about what many of these rosters will look like come September. It is crucial to point out that the losing team in the Super Bowl is a factor to consider. Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers boast an impressive roster, but they will be the hunted, not the hunter next season.
How does New Orleans bounce back after consecutive heartbreaking season-ending losses in the Superdome? All season long, we kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with regards to both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. While it never really happened until deep in the NFC playoffs in 2019, I think regression is coming for both of those franchises next season. If Dallas stays healthy, particularly on the offensive line, I see no reason the Cowboys can’t surpass their projected win total of nine games, capture their division, and then provide numerous opportunities for anyone holding a +2200 Super Bowl ticket.
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