GREEN BAY PACKERS, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SUPER BOWL FAVORITES AS NFL PLAYOFFS BEGIN

The field is set for the NFL Playoffs and while familiar faces are the favorites to win the Super Bowl title, there is a crowded field vying for the championship, according to analysts TheLines, which tracks odds in the U.S. regulated sports betting market.

The second year of the NFL’s expanded format of 14 teams opens this weekend with the Green Bay Packers as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to a consensus of that nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, and PointsBet. The Packers opened the year as +1400 favorites but are now listed at +400, meaning bettors would win $400 for every $100 wagered.

The Kansas City Chiefs are right behind the Packers and listed at +500, which is the same line the reigning AFC champions had when the season opened in September. But unlike the Packers, who have a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Chiefs will have to win three playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, starting with this week’s first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of the 14 teams to make the playoffs, half of them are listed at +1200 (12-to-1), or better, entering Wild Card Weekend. The playoff games will be held beginning this weekend with two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and the final first-round playoff game in a new Monday night timeslot. The home teams have all been installed as favorites according to a consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks.

Fresh off their wild overtime win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders — who opened the season at +10000 to win the Super Bowl — will play the Cincinnati Bengals (preseason +15000) in the first round. That means at least one preseason longshot will reach the second round.

“When you look at the at top favorites to win the Super Bowl right now, you see elite quarterback play or home-field advantage, or both,” said Brett Collson

lead analyst for TheLines.com. “While the Packers and Chiefs are the favorites, the stage is set for a dramatic playoff scene this year. And with the game’s biggest names like Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers at the forefront, this will be a huge playoff run for bettors and sportsbooks.”

The current odds for each playoff team to win Super Bowl LV as of Monday, Jan. 10 (with preseason odds):

• Green Bay Packers +400 (+1400)
• Kansas City Chiefs +500 (+500)
• Buffalo Bills +700 (+1150)
• Tennessee Titans +750 (+3000)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +850 (+650)
• Los Angeles Rams +1000 (+1500)
• Dallas Cowboys +1200 (+3500)
• Cincinnati Bengals +1800 (+15000)
• Arizona Cardinals +2000 (+4800)
• New England Patriots +2000 (+3700)
• San Francisco 49ers +2500 (+1400)
• Las Vegas Raiders +4000 (+10000)
• Philadelphia Eagles +6000 (+12500)
• Pittsburgh Steelers +6000 (+5000)

The consensus point spreads for Wild Card Weekend, as of Monday, Jan. 10:

• Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5); over/under 49
• New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (-4.5); over/under 43.5
• Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7.5); over/under 49.5
• San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (-3); over/under 51
• Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs (-12.5); over/under 46.5
• Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-4); over/under 50