As the 2018 National Football League season is set to kick off in this weekend, it is time to get in some wagers on what team will win Super Bowl LIII. Many online sportsbooks serving Canadians have the New England Patriots as the prohibitive favourites. However, the 2018-19 NFL season looks like it will be one of the most competitive seasons in the NFL in quite some time.
Best Pick from the NFC: Minnesota Vikings (+1100)
Best Underdog in the NFC: New Orleans Saints (+1600)
While every NFL team starts the season with a chance at winning the Super Bowl, only a few franchises are worth wagering on to take home the Lombardi Trophy on February 3, 2019. Here the best bets and teams to avoid betting, with all odds provided by Sports Interaction.
New England Patriots (+500)
Until Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s time with the New England Patriots ends, betting against this perennial powerhouse is foolish. The Patriots have won at least 12 games the last eight seasons and have appeared in seven straight AFC Championship games (both NFL records).
Even if Tom Brady is now 41, the competition in the AFC East is non-existent, meaning the Patriots should coast into the postseason and likely secure a first-round bye. Once in and well-rested, no one in the AFC is a better bet to represent the Conference in the Super Bowl.
After a strong 13-3 season, the Minnesota Vikings spent the offseason improving their roster. The Vikings upgraded at quarterback, signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal. They also get running back Dalvin Cook back to start the season. Cook looked impressive in limited action last season. While the Vikings have an excellent offseason, their talent on the defensive side of the ball is what makes them a serious Super Bowl contender.
The Vikings defence led the NFL in points against and yards against last season and ranked high in passing touchdowns allowed, rushing yards against and net yards per passing attempt. The Vikings defence should continue their success in 2018, as their three First Team All-Pro players (Everson Griffin, Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith) are all back and healthy to start the season.
When you look around the AFC, you are hard-pressed to find a more complete roster than the Los Angeles Chargers. Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen form a three-headed monster just a notch below what the Steelers have with Bell, Brown and Roethlisberger. The Chargers also improved their offensive line and have good depth at wide receiver and running back.
While the Los Angeles Chargers offence is great, they could field the NFL’s best defence in 2018. The pass-rush combination of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram is arguably the best in the NFL. They also have a top-five secondary and an above-average group of linebackers. If they can avoid special teams woes that plagued their team in 2017, they are the best bet to challenge the New England Patriots for the AFC’s spot in the Super Bowl.
Although they rarely qualify as an underdog, the New Orleans Saints are one of the biggest threats to win the Super Bowl in 2019. The evolution of the Saints offence last season was something to marvel at. After years of the applying a pass-happy approach, Sean Payton employed a much more balanced attack in 2017. The team should continue to have a great and balanced offence in 2018, with Alvin Kamara taking over lead running back duties and quarterback Drew Brees continuing to defy the effects of time.
The defence for the Saints enters the season highly touted and should only improve in 2018. Defensive end Cameron Jordan and defensive back Marshon Lattimore are coming off Pro Bowl seasons. Lattimore is the player to watch on the Saints’ defence this season. The 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year helped the Saints ranked third in the NFL in interceptions last season. If Lattimore and safety Marcus Williams make strides in their sophomore seasons, the Saints could field the best secondary in the NFC.
After trading away one of the best defensive players in the NFL, it is hard to see the Oakland Raiders doing much in 2018. Head coach Jon Gruden enters the season with the oldest roster in the NFL and does not seem overly concerned with contending in his first season. Even if quarterback Derek Carr can recapture his 2016 form, there is not enough talent on the Raiders for them to overcome playing in the super competitive AFC West.
While the Bears just added Khalil Mack from the Raiders, it is far to soon to proclaim the Chicago Bears as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. New head coach Matt Nagy should help the development of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but it will take more than one season for the Bears to have the skill to overtake the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
Category : Sports
Tag : chicago bears , Football , los angeles chargers , minnesota vikings , new england patriots , new orleans saints , nfl , oakland raiders , Super Bowl
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