Quick, while everyone else is still soaking in the afterglow of Super Bowl 56, grab your phone and look up odds for next year’s championship game.
A few things should stand out right away. The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are co-favorites (+650) to lift the Lombardi Trophy—surprising absolutely no one who watched them this year—while the reigning champion Los Angeles Rams are somewhat long-shots given their +1200 odds.
Teams with high upside like the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers are hovering at +2500 while clubs like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2200) almost seem to be getting the benefit of the doubt despite losing quarterback Tom Brady to retirement.
The simple point is this: as we enter NFL purgatory—the time of year when a champion has been crowned and there’s nothing rivals can do but feign happiness for the victor before rosters unlock—there’s no better opportunity to capitalize on the type of offseason moves that are all but inevitable.
That makes this one of the best times to throw a few darts on teams that should only see their lines get more and more favorable as the preseason nears.
Here’s a look at some of the contenders who are likely to see their 2023 title odds get shorter in the coming weeks, making them a prime value bet in the interim.
All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.