The first quarter of the 2019 NFL season is in the books, and as expected, a handful of teams have emerged from the pack as the front-runners to win Super Bowl 54 in Miami, FL this coming February.
A slew of injuries to big-name players shook up the Super Bowl betting market early in the season. Now that teams have started to really settle into their 2019 roster structure and coaching schemes, we have a much better idea as to who are the contenders and who are the pretenders when it comes to competing for the league’s ultimate prize.
According to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, Nevada, here are the top three contenders to win Super Bowl 54 after four weeks of action.
Dallas Cowboys – 9/2 (4.5/1)
That’s right, the Cowboys are currently the odds-on favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 54 — despite their Week 4 loss to the Drew Brees-less New Orleans Saints.
On paper, it makes perfect sense. With a dominant rushing attack, a quarterback playing mistake-free football in Dak Prescott (who also happens to have a talented group wide receivers at his disposal), and a defense that is among the best in the entire league, Dallas is a team that is built for success in January.
In my eyes, their biggest question mark at this point is in the area of big-game, postseason experience. The NFC is wide open in 2019, and if Prescott proves he can outplay the likes of Carson Wentz, Drew Brees, and Jared Goff under the bright lights of a playoff game, the Cowboys will likely win their first NFC title since 1995.
Kansas City Chiefs – 7/2 (3.5/1)
It’s safe to say there will be no ‘sophomore slump’ for Patrick Mahomes (he’s in his third NFL season, but only his second as a full-time starter). The reigning NFL MVP is producing at a record pace, and it looks like the Kansas City offense will be nearly impossible to shut down.
The Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes likely hinge on the play of their defense, which, through four weeks, looks improved, but far from great.
Look for the Chiefs to battle it out with the Patriots for homefield advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.
New England Patriots – 5/2 (2.5/1)
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the New England Patriots are considered the team to beat. They have played in four of the last five Super Bowls — winning three of them — and the 2019 Pats could quite possibly be the most complete team of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era (that’s saying a lot).
The AFC is shaping up to be a two-horse race (so much for parity). At this point, it’s hard to envision the AFC Championship featuring any other teams.
Other notables:
- New Orleans Saints – 12/1
- Chicago Bears – 14/1
- Los Angeles Rams – 16/1
- Green Bay Packers – 16/1
- Philadelphia Eagles – 16/1
