One reason why teams fight so hard to win one of the two byes in their playoff brackets in each conference is that they get to rest while the other four wild card competitors fight for the right to meet them in the divisional round. In addition to the rest is the fact that so many division champs end up losing wild card round games to teams that had to fight and scrap to snatch the wild card in the last week or two. A lot of the #3 and #4 seed division winners either had poor records in a bad division (such as the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans this year) or they started strong but slumped down the stretch (such as the Bengals this year). A lot of wild card teams have historically ridden their momentum to reach the Super Bowl — and even to win it. Let’s take a look at the wild card teams this year that have the best Super Bowl odds.
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The Seattle Seahawks (+550) started 2-4 but finished 8-2 to have a 10-6 record for the season. Bettors realize that the Seahawks have won six of seven and have the top scoring defense in the NFL. There’s also that playoff resume that the Seahawks have developed, advancing to the last two Super Bowls. They do have three straight road games ahead of them, but they made it through that gauntlet last year to make it to Super Bowl XLIX. Marshawn Lynch will be back on the field, giving the Seahawks a rested back who has earned the nickname “Beast Mode” to complement Russell Wilson’s improved passing attack this season. Add the notorious “Legion of Boom” bringing punishment on the defensive side, and it’s not that hard to see the Seahawks hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in a few weeks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (+900) almost didn’t make the playoffs at all. Their Week 16 loss in Baltimore meant that they had to hope for a Jets loss in Week 17, even though the Steelers had already beaten the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are 4-4 on the road, but Ben Roethlisberger has led his team through three straight road wins to a Super Bowl title in the past, and the injuries that have decimated so much of the competition in the AFC should play to the Steelers’ favor.
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The Kansas City Chiefs (+1600) boast the #3 defense in the NFL — but can Alex Smith elevate his quarterbacking game and lead the team to a Super Bowl victory? The Chiefs would have to win three road games, most likely, if they were to reach the Super Bowl. Can the 10-game regular season winning streak trump the eight-game postseason streak? Can Andy Reid overcome his tendency of making dreadful decisions down the stretch in key games? The Chiefs are red-hot right now, but they aren’t getting a lot of betting respect just the same.
