NFL betting odds: An early look at the favorites to win Super Bowl 61

With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror and with the 2026 schedules dropping last week, the countdown to the new NFL season is well and truly underway.

The league’s 32 franchises will compete over 18 weeks in the fall and winter months for the right to enter the playoffs, and start a Super Bowl run. 

With each team now knowing their route through the 17-game regular season, it’s a great time to have an early look at the latest NFL betting odds and see who the sportsbooks are predicting to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

The Seattle Seahawks are the defending champions, having come out on top in a ferocious three-way battle for the NFC West title, before defeating both their divisional rivals again in the playoffs and comfortably seeing off the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Latest NFL betting odds – the current Super Bowl favorites

Here are the top 10 teams according to the latest NFL betting odds from our recommended NFL sportsbooks:

• Los Angeles Rams: +800 with BetMGM
• Seattle Seahawks: +950 with BetMGM
• Buffalo Bills: +1000 with Caesars
• Baltimore Ravens: +1100 with Caesars
• Detroit Lions: +1500 with Caesars
• Los Angeles Chargers: +1600 with BetMGM
• Kansas City Chiefs: +1600 with BetMGM
• Philadelphia Eagles: +1600 with Caesars
• Green Bay Packers: +1800 with Caesars
• San Francisco 49ers: +1800 with BetMGM

*Odds are subject to change (Updated on May 20th).

The strongest teams according to the NFL betting odds

The NFC was the stronger of the two conferences last season, with the West sending three teams into the playoffs – each with 12 wins or more!

It was little surprise that two of them – the Rams and Seahawks – ended up contesting the NFC Championship Game, and it’s those two who head up the pricing ahead of the new season.

Los Angeles Rams (+800)

With quarterback Matt Stafford turning 38 years old, there is a sense that the clock is ticking for the Rams to win another title during this ‘window’. They came up just short last season, losing twice in Seattle when it mattered.

Stafford’s high-powered offense remains fully in tact – with superstar receiver Puka Nacua coming off a 1700+ yard campaign, and Davante Adams remaining a reliable red zone target. He will also still have all three tight ends to throw to – Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson – and an effective running back duo to hand off to.

The Rams also made a significant addition to their defence this offseason, with top corner Trent McDuffie arriving in a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams are all in.

Back the Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl 61 at +800 with BetMGM

Seattle Seahawks (+950)

In just Mike Macdonald’s second season as head coach, and with Sam Darnold arriving to be what everyone outside of Seattle assumed would be a ‘bridge’ quarterback, few saw Seattle’s title run coming.

Darnold continued from where he left off in 2024, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, and delivering in huge moments down the stretch. The Seahawks won a three-horse race for the NFC West and went all the way to secure their second championship.

Like many successful teams, however, Seattle did lose some key pieces this offseason – Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and secondary starters Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen secured big deals elsewhere. The Seahawks may struggle to repeat, but the core of their winning roster is still here.

Bet on the Seattle Seahawks going back to back and winning Super Bowl 61 at +950 with BetMGM

Buffalo Bills (+1000)

The Bills will always be among the favorites heading into each season for as long as Josh Allen is around. With the Chiefs, Ravens and Bengals absent from last season’s playoffs, however, the Bills failed to capitalize – losing to the Broncos in a dramatic divisional round clash, prolonging the wait for a first-ever title.

That prompted a change at head coach, with Joe Brady replacing Sean McDermott. The Bills will also be moving into their new home in 2026. While it may seem like a challenging, transitional year ahead, the Brady hire was an internal promotion and the new stadium is just across the parking lot from the old one. 

Sportsbooks are expecting business as usual in the AFC East, which has been largely dominated by the upstate New Yorkers in recent years.

Back the Buffalo Bills to win their first Super Bowl at +1000 with Caesars

Baltimore Ravens (+1100)

The Baltimore Ravens fall into a similar bracket as the Bills in the sense that having Lamar Jackson will always mean they’re in contention. They too have made a change at head coach, parting ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons and hiring Jesse Minter.

Minter was one of the hottest properties in this year’s coaching carousel after his stellar work as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Jackson was sidelined with injury for several weeks of 2025, but it appeared as though he had returned just in time to save their season. In the end, they were a missed field goal away from making the postseason instead of bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Minter will have a very talented roster at his disposal which, when healthy, is the most complete in the AFC North.

Bet on the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl at +1100 with Caesars

Dark horses in the NFL betting odds

No season illustrates the unpredictability of the NFL better than last season, what with a Super Bowl matchup that no one saw coming and the Kansas City Chiefs – among other recent juggernaut teams – missing the playoffs altogether.

Here are four more teams who could represent great value.

Detroit Lions (+1500)

The Lions fell short of the playoffs last season, but they have been trending upwards for several seasons under Dan Campbell – going 12-5 in 2023 and 15-2 in 2024.

Despite finishing bottom of the NFC North in 2025, only the two Super Bowl teams put up more regular season points – and that’s having been without dynamic tight end Sam LaPorta for a large stretch.

Back the Detroit Lions to win it all in the 2026 NFL season at +1500 with Caesars

Kansas City Chiefs (+1600)

The Kansas City Chiefs will aim to prove last year was an anomaly. It was the first time Patrick Mahomes’ season had ended before the AFC Championship Game since he became the starting quarterback, let alone the first time he’d missed the postseason. 

Everything that could go wrong for the Chiefs, did go wrong in 2025, and Mahomes himself tore his ACL and LCL in week 14 – ending his season. Everyone connected with the Chiefs will be praying he is healthy enough to return for week 1 of 2026.

Bet on the Kansas City Chiefs to bounce back in 2026 and win the Super Bowl at +1600 with BetMGM

San Francisco 49ers (+1800)

The 49ers have been in the hunt almost every season since Kyle Shanahan took over as head coach, losing two Super Bowls to Kansas City in 2020 and 2024. 

They entered a week 18 showdown with Seattle last season for the NFC West title, but came up short in that one and ended up going on the road through the playoffs – where their season was ended in The Emerald City.

They still have one of the best rosters in the league if everyone is healthy – but that has often been a big “if” in recent seasons and ultimately proved to be their downfall last season, with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner among many on the treatment table throughout 2025.

Tip the San Francisco 49ers at +1800 to win Super Bowl 61 with BetMGM

Chicago Bears (+2500)

This one looks like a massive outlier to me in the pricing lists. Caleb Williams showed in year 2 that he could soon join the ‘elite’ tier of quarterbacks alongside the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. He threw for just shy of 4,000 yards in the regular season, and 27 touchdowns. 

In the playoffs, he conjured up some of the most memorable plays of the season – both in the thrilling comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers and in sending the Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams to overtime with a miraculous Hail Mary to Cole Kmet. 

If he can replicate or improve upon his sophomore season, the Bears will take some stopping in the NFC North and are potentially great value to win it all.

Back the Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl in 2027 at +2500 with BetMGM

My NFL betting tips for the 2026/27 season

After a season which threw the form book of the past few years out of the window, the NFL could be wide open once again this coming season. Here are my picks as I try to make sense of what is sure to be a thrilling few months – focusing on divisions and win-loss records.

Denver Broncos to win the AFC West (+210)

Not only were the Chiefs a shadow of their usual selves in 2025, the Denver Broncos in year 2 of Sean Payton’s reign as coach, were terrific. An 11-game winning streak from late September through to mid December saw them race clear of Andy Reid’s team and end their 10-year dominance of the AFC West.

Sportsbooks are banking on Mahomes’ return for week 1, slating the Chiefs as the favorites to take back top spot, but even if he is fully healthy, the rest of the roster has slowly weakened over the past couple of years. Plus, the Chiefs’ offense hasn’t truly clicked for some time – with or without Mahomes. It could be too tough a task for them to resume normal service this year.

Back the Denver Broncos to win the AFC West at +210 at Caesars

Los Angeles Rams to win over 11.5 games (+110)

The Rams are the Super Bowl favorites and, if that’s to be the case, they need to be winning 12 or more regular season games. In four of the last five seasons, the NFC West winner has hit this mark and it’s hard not to predict another tightly-contested race this time around – in which the intra-division games will prove crucial.

There are plenty of other tough games on the schedule – the Rams will travel to Denver and Philadelphia in the early weeks, but they should make light work of the likes of the Cardinals (twice), Giants, Raiders, and Commanders. 

Take the over on the LA Rams’ win total of 11.5 at +110 with Caesars

Houston Texans to be eliminated in the Divisional Round (+375)

The Houston Texans have won 10 or more games in the last three seasons in a row, ever since drafting C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr, and hiring DeMeco Ryans as head coach. Even though 12 wins was only good enough for second place in the AFC South, they enter this season as favorites to win the division for a third time in four years. 

Their true target, however, will be to go beyond the Divisional Round of the playoffs, which is where they’ve unravelled in each of those past three seasons.

Stroud at quarterback hasn’t hit the heights of his rookie year, and with the defence being regarded as one of the best in football, the onus is truly on him and the offence to elevate this team’s ceiling.

Tip the Houston Texans to once again fall at the Divisional Round stage at +375 with Ceasars

Key dates in the 2026/27 NFL season

While the schedule release always throws up some eye-catching showdowns and potentially box office rivalries, there will also be some huge games further down the track that will carry playoff implications that are impossible to foresee right now.

There are a few weeks of the season, however, where you can guarantee a greater buzz around the NFL.

Week 1

Come September, everyone is raring to go! Getting off to a good start is vital, as teams who lose their first two games very rarely make the playoffs.

The defending champions, as normal, kick off the season at home on a Thursday night – this year, the Seahawks will take on the Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch! Here are the first primetime picks of the season:

• Thursday, September 9th: Patriots @ Seahawks
• Friday, September 10th: 49ers @ Rams
• Sunday, September 13th: Cowboys @ Giants
• Monday, September 14th: Broncos @ Chiefs

Thanksgiving

As is tradition in the NFL, three games will be played on Thanksgiving and two of those will always see the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys as hosts.

This year, it’s the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles respectively who will be visiting on Turkey Day. The final matchup sees the latest episode of Chiefs @ Bills – the first meeting in the new Highmark Stadium.

Not only that but we will also be getting a new ‘Thanksgiving Eve’ game this year – Packers @ Rams. The Black Friday game will see the Broncos taking on the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Christmas

We’ll be treated to another feast of football, of course, on Christmas Day. This year, we’ll be able to watch Packers @ Bears, Bills @ Broncos and Rams @ Seahawks – all repeats from last season’s playoffs and all three were among the best games in the entire season.

Week 18

In an effort to reduce meaningless games at the end of the season, every team faces a division rival in their final game. Dates and times of these matchups will be flexed depending on how much is at stake, with the games carrying the most playoff significance receiving national TV coverage.

International Series

The NFL is expanding further and wider this season to bring the game to even more fans around the world. This year will see a total of nine games played overseas, with Melbourne, Paris and Rio De Janeiro debuting as host cities. The first of these comes in Week 1, with the Rams and 49ers heading down under.

FAQs ahead of the 2026/27 NFL season

1. How quickly can a team’s betting odds change?

The NFL has the shortest season of all the major sports and therefore, a team’s fortunes can change very quickly! Starting 2-0 or 0-2 will dramatically improve or weaken a team’s chances of making the playoffs, and a potential Super Bowl. Injuries can also derail a franchise, especially at quarterback. 

Generally, teams can fall out of contention (and nosedive in odds) much quicker than the other way around. The Seahawks last season, who entered the year as +6000 long shots, were one of the biggest underdogs in recent years to win a championship

2. How can I spot a team who’s about to trend upwards?

In recent seasons, we’ve seen a trend in year two quarterbacks taking a massive leap, and leading their teams from the bottom of their divisions the year before to the playoffs – Caleb Williams with Chicago, Drake Maye with New England, Bo Nix with Denver, etc. 

For that reason, the Tennessee Titans with Cam Ward and the New York Giants with Jaxson Dart could be ones to watch. They’ll have very long odds now – which you can lock in before the season starts – but they could shorten quickly if those teams win games early on.

3. Which teams are not expected to compete for a championship this year?

Currently, the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are expected to win the fewest games according to most sportsbooks. All three struggled last season, and are without a long-term solution at quarterback.

They’re more likely to focus on rebuilding and developing their young rosters than seriously competing for the playoffs.

About the author

Nathan Hill

Nathan Hill is an experienced sports writer who obsessively follows football – both the round ball and American kind – as well as range of other sports including F1, basketball, darts and snooker.

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