MetroBet breaks down the Super Bowl chances of the four teams still left in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams (+350)
The Rams were among the favorites for most of the year, but now they find themselves the longest shot on the board as they’ll play the Saints in the Superdome on Sunday.
L.A. cratered a bit in mid-December as they lost consecutive games to the Bears and Eagles, but they bounced back with two divisional wins to end their regular campaign before taking care of business against the Cowboys last week.
The manner in which the Rams beat Dallas was particularly impressive; Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson each registered 100-yard rushing games against one of the best run-stopping units in the NFL. Ezekiel Elliott was held to just 47 yards on the ground. If L.A. can continue to play this way, 7-2 odds will look like tremendous value.
The verdict: Bet.
New England Patriots (+325)
The Patriots find themselves in the peculiar position of underdog as they’ll play the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday for the right to advance to the Super Bowl for the ninth time in the Tom Brady era.
Sadly for the New England faithful, oddsmakers are justified in tabbing Bill Belichick’s squad as underdogs, even after their 41-point dissection of the Chargers, based on their road woes during the regular season. The Patriots were 3-5 away from Gillette Stadium this year, and their average points per game dropped nearly a full touchdown. Their defense surrendered an average of over three additional points per contest compared to their overall number.
The Chiefs’ defense plays well at Arrowhead Stadium, as evidenced by their subduing of Andrew Luck and the Colts on Saturday. They will probably send the Patriots packing.
The verdict: Fade.
Kansas City Chiefs (+275)
Andy Reid’s squad is brilliant at times, but inherently flawed.
Patrick Mahomes is the entire Chiefs roster in a nutshell; he can make some amazing plays, especially when he scrambles, but the bravado he plays with inevitably leads to mistakes.
Assuming Kansas City gets by New England, Mahomes will have to avoid tossing three INTs in a potential rematch with the Rams. If the Saints advance, Mahomes will have to face an all-new opponent whose defense travels well. The Chiefs defense is porous outside of Arrowhead Stadium.
The verdict: Fade.
New Orleans Saints (+175)
The Saints have been the Super Bowl favorite for a while now, but their close shave with the Eagles, a team they beat 48-7 just a few weeks ago, on Sunday has to have some thinking that they may have peaked too soon.
New Orleans also beat L.A. when they met in the regular season, but the Rams seem to be on the improve based on their outplaying of the Cowboys on Saturday. Drew Brees and company have experienced some hiccups in recent weeks, topping 20 points just twice in their last five games (excluding Week 17 when Brees sat out).
Jared Goff is poised to take advantage of a Saints’ defense that allowed over 24 points per game at home this season, 24th in the league.
The verdict: Fade.
