Super Bowl Odds Update Before Wild Card Weekend

• The Ravens (+220) are heavy Super Bowl favorites heading into the postseason
  
• San Francisco (+400) and Kansas City (+425) jumped up the board after securing first-round byes in Week 17
  
• The Saints (+600) are the top championship contender among the teams playing on Wild Card weekend
  

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For the first time in a decade, the Patriots will not enjoy a first-round bye after a shocking loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.

The 27-24 defeat led to New England’s title odds doubling from +500 last week to +1000.

With the playoff field set, let’s examine the latest Super Bowl 54 odds at BetOnline and pick some Wild Card weekend winners.

TEAMS WITH A FIRST-ROUND BYE

The Ravens (+220) enter the playoffs riding a 12-game winning streak after their backups embarrassed the division-rival Steelers, 28-10, in Week 17.

Proving the “football is a game of inches” cliché true, San Francisco (+400) stuffed Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister on the goal line with no time remaining to win their first NFC West division crown since 2012.

2018: 4-12
2019: NFC’s top playoff seed

Here are five special moments from a SPECIAL @49ers season. ? pic.twitter.com/P8JAtnCCDr

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2019

Instead of falling all the way to the fifth seed with a loss, the 26-21 victory clinched home-field advantage in the NFC, improving the Niners’ Lombardi odds from +500 to +400.

The Chiefs received an even bigger bump, jumping from +650 to +425 after the Pats handed them an unlikely first-round bye with a loss to Miami. Kansas City appears to be peaking at the right time.

Green Bay (+1000) almost suffered the same ugly fate as New England in Week 17 before staging a 23-20 comeback win over the listless Detroit Lions.

The Packers are not priced as a No. 2 seed, but there’s good reason for that: no quarterback fell off more down the stretch this season than Aaron Rodgers, according to FiveThirtyEight, continuing his steep decline over the last half of the decade.

AFC WILD CARD SATURDAY

Once again confirming they’re the most boring playoff team in football, the Texans (+4000) were given the Saturday afternoon Wild-Card slot for the sixth-straight time.

Houston opened as three-point favorites over Buffalo (+5000). While the Bills gave the Ravens a much better game in Week 14 (24-17 loss) than the Texans (41-7 loss in Week 11), Sean McDermott’s club has only beaten one playoff team (Titans with Marcus Mariota) all year.

Derrick Henry clinches the 2019 NFL Rushing Title AND a 1,500 yard season with this INCREDIBLE run! pic.twitter.com/HTm9aMcMnw

— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) December 30, 2019

The Titans (+4000) head to Foxborough on Saturday night as five-point underdogs. At +1000, the defending-champion Patriots have not been available at a better number all season.

However, after fading New England all season, there’s no real reason to stop now. Since Ryan Tannehill took over as the starter in Week 7, Tennessee ranks first in yards per play (6.94).

Tannehill also joined Joe Montana as one of only two QBs in history to average 9.0 yards per attempt while completing at least 70 per cent of their passes. Take the Titans this weekend.

This was off. I had my filters messed up on @pfref. Joe Montana also did it in 1989.

So Tannehill and Montana linked forever #asexpected. https://t.co/TYSQg3qQvd

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) December 30, 2019

NFC WILD CARD SUNDAY

Winners of three straight and six of their past seven, New Orleans (+600) became just the third 13-win team not to get a first-round bye since the NFL moved to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

Every Super Bowl participant since 2002 has had a first-round bye. Still, with each passing week, it’s hard not to see the Saints as the favorite in the NFC. Look for Drew Brees and company to avenge the Minneapolis Miracle this weekend (Vikings +3300) and then win on the road in Green Bay in the Divisional Round.

NFL’s all-time team snubs Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees https://t.co/a80OjYVXMk

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 28, 2019

That would set up an epic ‘Game of the Year’ rematch with the 49ers, who won a 48-46 shootout over the Saints in Week 14

After carrying their respective injury-riddled teams all season long, Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson will face off in the Sunday nighter.

Neither the Eagles (+2500) or Seahawks (+2500) make a particularly intriguing longshot bet.

But it’s worth noting that Seattle split its head-to-head with the Niners this season, and a victory over the Eagles would set up a must-watch rubber match in San Francisco.

BEST BET: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (+600)