The first week of the 2017/2018 NFL season has just passed, and everything looks already upside down for the long-term Super Bowl champions New England Patriots who were shamefully defeated by Kansas City Chiefs in the opening match. What does this tell us about the most watched game in the world? How can we be sure of anything anymore? This said the 52nd edition of the Super Bowl is no different from its predecessor, as surprising first defeats at the start of the championship are no exception in the Super Bowl. After all, last year the Patriots stole the trophy, registering their sixth Super Bowl victory. Looking at these controversial historical matches, fans and punters could only wonder how best to predict the grand final in Minnesota next February. It seems everything is up in the air for the NFL, which is what makes the game so exciting to watch and wager on. For those of you who are attracted by the big betting prizes, get to know the 2017/2018 best and worst moments and where the odds are in your favour. This is certainly a daunting task with all the confusion around the different bets, but nowadays you are one click away from taking a detailed online betting guide suitable for newbies which make playing at a sportsbook easy to understand. For starters, let’s look at the NFL basics and what the bookies have predicted so far.
How does the Super Bowl Work?
As everybody knows, the NFL is the US premier football championship which poises 32 teams from the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) to compete against each other in a season of division home and visiting matches and 10 other match-ups. In recent years, the NFL's popularity grew overseas, with international NFL matches being played at Wembley and Twickenham most commonly. During the season the 12 best teams, winners of their divisions and selected from the wild card rounds get to play at the conference championship round for the best team in the NFL and AFC to get to the final Super Bowl game. The NFL is deemed to be the greatest sporting event on the calendars of many Americans, with high-profile celebrities such as Lady Gaga providing for a night of half-time’s entertainment. As the season gets to speed and the Patriots’ odds have quickly been readjusted across all sportsbooks, we’ve decided to shed some light on the most viable Super Bowl predictions so far.
What do the Bookies and Punters Say?
Earlier this summer, bookmakers wanted us to believe the obvious that the Patriots would be the number 1 bet for winning the Super Bowl, but after several injuries suffered during its most recent defeat when playing a host to the opening game, the odds are not so favourable anymore. However, we shouldn’t underestimate Bill Belichick’s arduous work to prepare the team on both new defence and attack strategies. This defeat of the Patriots gave a heads up to other unlikely teams like the Kansas City Chiefs who everybody omitted from their predictions, but now according to Nate Silver’s NFL Predictions model , the Chiefs have an increase of 14% against just 10% for the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons who have come second in the charts. In fact, the Chiefs are a bit of a clusterfuck for the bookies and the punters, as nobody has really thought they could head the AFC Championship game. However, most bookmakers are anonymous that they’ll make the playoffs this year. This said, the sportsbooks odds vary significantly from game to game, and it’s always best to check trustworthy reference sites like the top rank lists of betting providers on TopRatedBettingSites.co.uk. Having discussed the Patriots and the Chiefs, let’s move on to the other 5 teams who stand a good chance to get to the final game.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks might have started off on the wrong foot last season when the team lost Wilson and Earl Thomas to injuries, but if they could only grab their luck in their hands, they surely can turn the tables for the Patriots and be their most dangerous contestant for the NFC Championship cup.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have long boasted about their ingenious plan to slow down Patriot's Brady, while still relying on their impeccable offence. However, their history of injuries will be their worst enemy in the battle for the Super Bowl trophy.
Green Bay Packers
As with every other counterpart to the Patriots, the Packers will have to worry about their defence. However, the team’s most glorious moments continue to be defined by its strongest asset – Aaron Rodgers. So, watch out for this one!
Dallas Cowboys
As with the other three most viable contestants, the Cowboy’s offence will continue to be their strongest weapon, especially when we now see that Dak Prescott has recovered from its latest injury.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are the least possible candidate among the above four, as the team is young and has never made it to the Super Bowl. However, they’ve already met the Patriots in February this year, which is a good enough reason for the Falcons to be the team to progress the farthest in the NFL.
