The NFL’s calendar hasn’t even reached June, but it’s never too early to wager on next year’s Super Bowl champion.
Now that the free agency period, the draft, and the schedule release have come and gone, it is a great time to look ahead to next season’s champion.
The Kansas City Chiefs are trying to become the first team in history to win three Super Bowls in a row, but they don’t make my list.
Their opponent in Super Bowl LVIII, the San Francisco 49ers, do make my list, as do two other squads that I think offer great value at the moment.
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So, let’s jump into it! Here are four teams worth taking a gamble on to pull off the feat in 2023 — with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
The “Last Dance” narrative around this team isn’t too dramatic.
Left tackle Trent Williams turns 36 in August.
Brock Purdy has two years left on his rookie deal — but they’ll probably want to pay him after this season.
Christian McCaffrey had 417 touches last season — regular season and playoffs — and you wonder how many miles he has left in those legs.
And all signs point to either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel not being on the team in 2025.
Between coordinators getting plucked and the bill coming due for their young star, this franchise’s great run — four NFC title games and two Super Bowl trips in five years — is near the end.
The path through the NFC is much easier than the AFC.
PICK: San Francisco 49ers (+600) to win Super Bowl LIX
No, this isn’t a homer pick.
Let’s start with the schedule, which is extremely soft when you look at opponent win totals. They have the fourth-easiest schedule in the league and are favored in 14 of 17 games.
In division, the Bills and Dolphins suffered significant losses, while the Jets improved at both tackle spots, added Mike Williams at receiver, and Aaron Rodgers is healthy again.
This team should win 11 or 12 games.
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The AFC playoffs will be a gauntlet, and they might have to go through last year’s MVP (Lamar Jackson) and the two-time defending champs.
Remember, the Jets defense kept them in every game last year, but the backup QBs couldn’t get them the wins.
The last time Aaron Rodgers was this motivated, he won an MVP and the Packers were the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
PICK: New York Jets (+2000) to win Super Bowl LIX
Detroit’s first-place schedule involves games at 2023 playoff teams Dallas, Houston and San Francisco, and it hosts Buffalo.
There is a silver lining though: Its first seven games are indoors, and the only cold weather games are in Chicago on Dec 22 … and maybe the Dec 30 meeting in San Francisco.
I love the upgrades in the secondary, with Alabama’s Terrion Arnold slated to start opposite free agent Carlton Davis, who previously thrived in Tampa.
The biggest question with this team: How will it handle going from the hunter to the hunted?
Retaining OC Ben Johnson is the primary reason this team is here.
PICK: Detroit Lions (+1200) to win Super Bowl LIX
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Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports betting analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, “Coming Up Winners,” in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010. Follow him @jasonrmcintyre.
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