NFC Opens as 1-Point Favorite in Early Super Bowl 55 Line
- In the opening line on Super Bowl 55, the NFC are the one-point favorites to win the game
- An NFC team hasn’t kicked off as the Super Bowl chalk since the Carolina Panthers in 2016. Is the NFC a worthy favorite?
- All of the odds and picks are analyzed in the story that follows
For the first time in five years, the NFC has a leg up on the AFC when it comes to the big game. The NFC are a one-point favorite to win Super Bowl 55 in the opening line for the first time since the Carolina Panthers were favorites in 2016.
Super Bowl 55 Game Odds
| Conference | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Team To Win Super Bowl | -105 | +1 (-110) | Over 53.5 (-110) |
| NFC Team To Win Super Bowl | -115 | -1 (-110) | Under 53.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Mar. 24.
NFC teams are 1-5 straight up in the past six Super Bowl games. They are 1-3 against the spread in the past four Super Bowls.
NFC Playing From Behind
The Super Bowl has proven to be property of the AFC for the most part for nearly a decade. AFC teams are 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS over the past eight games.
The @chiefs came back one final time to become Super Bowl Champions! 🏆#SBLIV is the top game of 2019 and it re-airs NOW on NFL Network!
📺: Top 10 Games of 2019 | No. 1 #SBLIV pic.twitter.com/Ivig9VJcuU
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 22, 2020
The Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl 52) and Seattle Seahawks (Super Bowl 48) are the only NFC teams to be winners over this time frame. Both were victorious as betting underdogs.
NFC Dry Spell
It’s been quite some time since an NFC squad kicked off a Super Bowl game as the betting choice of the oddsmakers. In Super Bowl 50, quarterback Cam Newton and the 17-1 Carolina Panthers were the five-point chalk over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Denver easily won that game by a 24-10 margin.
In Super Bowl 47, the San Francisco 49ers were the 4.5-point favorites over the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore were 34-31 winners in that game.
Day 12 #withoutsports: #12 is one the most talented QBs the game has ever seen. Aaron Rodgers was the 2011 NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP and considered by many to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. pic.twitter.com/e0lFPuki04
— David Marshall Jr. (@dmarshalljr) March 24, 2020
To find an NFC team winning as the chalk, you have to go back to Super Bowl 45. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers downed the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 as three-point favorites.
The NFC has won six of its past seven Super Bowl titles as betting underdogs. Prior to the Packers, the previous NFC Super Bowl favorite to win straight up was the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl 30. The previous NFC team win and cover as the chalk was the 49ers in Super Bowl 29.
AFC Solid Underdog Play
If you’re inclined to make an early play on this wager, the AFC is the way to go. AFC teams have won the past three Super Bowls and five of the last six games on occasions when they’ve been betting underdogs.
Historic Super Bowl Odds
| Conference | SU Favorite | SU Underdog | ATS Favorite | ATS Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 18-9 | 9-16 | 14-14 | 10-14 |
| NFC | 16-9 | 8-19 | 14-10 | 14-14 |
Note: Two games ended in a push.
The Denver (SB 50) and Baltimore (SB 47) wins have already been discussed, as well as the Pittsburgh (SB 45) loss. Prior to those games, the New England Patriots won Super Bowl 37 by a 20-17 count over the St. Louis Rams as 14-point underdogs. The Broncos beat the Packers 31-24 as 11-point underdogs in Super Bowl 32.
Is It the Brady Bump?
Certainly, the move of six-time Super Bowl-winning QB Tom Brady from the Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has played a role in the NFC suddenly being the favored son in the Super Bowl.
"I know Belichick can win without Brady, I don't know that Brady can win without Belichick."
Terry Bradshaw says he doesn't understand why Tom Brady left the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/aT9bsXbLLz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 24, 2020
There’s no doubt that the NFC has some great teams. It’s easy to make a case for the 49ers, Packers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, and yes, even the Bucs as Super Bowl contenders.
However, the two best teams in the NFL – the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (+600) and regular-season champion Ravens (+7500) – reside in the AFC.
They’re also favorites in the 2021 Super Bowl odds.
Pick: AFC +1 (-110).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
