Super Bowl Odds: Where Do Things Stand Prior to Week 1?
It is the annual conversation that sparks debate all throughout the United States.
Whether in your local barbershop, at the gym, or pretty much anywhere humans converse, everyone wants to know: who will win the next Super Bowl?
Naturally, some of the usual frontrunners are leading the way again in 2023.
As reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs enter the upcoming campaign as market favorites, per the Super Bowl odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. From there, last year's NFC champs -- the Philadelphia Eagles -- are also among the leaders to go the distance this season.
One thing is for sure -- Thursday's opener between the Chiefs and Detroit Lions can't arrive soon enough.
Before that, let's analyze the current odds and consider who has authentic value to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next February at Allegiant Stadium -- home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
*Denotes Super Bowl LVII participant
Kansas City Chiefs
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600
Genuinely, not a soul on Earth should be surprised to see Kansas City listed as Super Bowl favorites. Since "Showtime" Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have reached the AFC Championship game in every season. To go a step further, K.C. qualified for the Super Bowl three times during that span, twice taking all the marbles.
Head coach Andy Reid is entering his 11th season with the Chiefs, which is sort of mindblowing since I know much of the older crowd still pictures him in Philadelphia. Regardless, Kansas City will pick up right where they left off last February.
With All-Pros Mahomes and Travis Kelce returning refreshed, the offense should still be amongst the best in the NFL. In 2022, the Chiefs averaged 29.2 points per game, which was tops in the league.
Still, Kansas City is enduring contractual issues with their best defensive player, another First-team All-Pro, Chris Jones. Whether or not we see odds movement here if Jones misses games remains to be seen, but on the field, the Chiefs will absolutely need his efforts if they hope to run the AFC gauntlet yet again.
Philadelphia Eagles
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +800
The reigning NFC champions commence 2023 with a substantial chip on their shoulders -- never Philly, right? After narrowly losing a shootout to Kansas City in the last Super Bowl, Philadelphia is looking to "fly-Eagles-fly" to new heights this time around. Undoubtedly, they boast one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, but can they shake the dreaded Super Bowl hangover?"
Of course, teams who lose the Super Bowl typically do not fare well the following season. Now, I am indisputably a believer of Jalen Hurts and his dynamic abilities -- 13 rushing touchdowns last year in addition to 22 scores through the air -- but there is a stigma looming over his head. The last 17 quarterbacks to lose in their Super Bowl debut have never made it back to the big game.
Someone is bound to buck that trend eventually, and the Super Bowl odds at FanDuel Sportsbook say Hurts and the Birds have a great shot to do it in the coming year. That makes sense when you consider Philadelphia's depth in the trenches, as the Eagles are returning most key players along their offensive and defensive lines (with exception to Javon Hargrave).
Additionally, they have plenty of other talent on both sides of the ball with stars like A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, Darius Slay and Haason Reddick. Philly will return strong in 2023.
Buffalo Bills
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +900
As our first franchise on this list that has never won a Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills also carry major expectations for the coming season. Josh Allen certainly has top-five quarterbacking abilities, but will his decision-making be improved in 2023?
Allen is one of only three signal-callers to have won the AFC East since 2002 (Tom Brady and Chad Pennington are the other two). Currently, the Bills have worn the division crown in every season since Brady left the New England Patriots.
Buffalo dealt with an onslaught of injuries last season, especially to key contributors on defense. In what is a top safety tandem in the NFL, both Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are returning healthy. However, in disappointing news, future Hall-of-Famer Von Miller will begin the upcoming year on the PUP list, meaning we will not see him until at least Week 5. Remember, Miller tore his ACL in Week 12 of last season.
Like Philadelphia, the Bills have talented skill players. On offense, Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis are a potent one-two punch. The two wideouts combined for 18 touchdowns and nearly 2,400 receiving yards in 2022. Their tight-end group is also big and athletic. On defense, Matt Milano and Tre'Davious White lead the way.
But the Bills face the same question as everyone else in the AFC -- can they knock off K.C.?
Cincinnati Bengals
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1000
The Cincinnati Bengals have now reached the AFC Championship game in consecutive seasons. Still, like Buffalo, the Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. Regardless, Cincinnati seems to have all the tools to go the distance.
As touched on with Hurts, Burrow falls into the large category of quarterbacks who lost their Super Bowl debut and have never returned, but he obviously has a lot of time to fix that. Entering 2023. Burrow still has a majority of his offensive skill group in place -- Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd might be the best receiving trio in the game.
Additionally, Cincinnati did well to weaken a conference rival while simultaneously addressing a major problem spot. Coming over from the Chiefs, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. should be be a fantastic protector of Burrow's blind side. Let's not forget that the past two AFC Championship games have featured Cincy and K.C., with the two splitting the pair.
Undeniably, Burrow has a pervasive coolness that resonates on the field, keeping calm in moments of intense adversity -- it's his X-factor trait. Make no mistake: the Bengals are one of the NFL's best.
San Francisco 49ers
FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1000
Still looking for that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy, the San Francisco 49ers enter the 2023-24 season with playmakers all around the field.
Of course, the team has been rampant in the headlines leading up to Week 1 after trading Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. Also, reigning DPOY Nick Bosa remains a holdout just 10 days prior to their opener at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Regardless, the 49ers boast playmakers up and down their starting lineup on D and on O. Second-year sensation Brock Purdy looks good to go after sustaining a UCL injury in the most recent NFC Championship, completing 9 of 14 passes for 138 yards with a rushing touchdown in the preseason.
Comparatively, Purdy's quarterbacking assignment is not as difficult as some others, looking at his cast of skill players in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system: Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk. Having Trent Williams protecting your backside certainly helps, as well.
Notably, San Francisco has talent in all three levels on defense. Bosa, Fred Warner and Talanoa Hufanga were each named 2022 First-Team All-Pros, as the unit allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL last year. Still, in 2023, Northern California will be looking for the quarterback to keep everything Brock-steady -- especially with Lance now in Jerry-world.
Other Super Bowl LVIII Contenders
Dallas Cowboys: +1300
Baltimore Ravens: +1800
New York Jets: +1800
Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins: +2100
Looking for more NFL betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming NFL odds.
Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.