AFC and NFC Conference Odds: Oddsmakers Predicting Rematch Of Super Bowl 54

Each year for the NFL’s grand finale, two teams make it to the Super Bowl representing the AFC and NFC conferences and the two franchises that played in Super Bowl 54 are favorites to make it to the big game again.

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are favored to win their respective conferences and play in Super Bowl 55 in Tampa Bay according to online sportsbook Bovada. The Chiefs are listed at +295 to win the AFC while the Niners are +425 to represent the NFC.

The NFL offseason has been a wild one, to say the least, with quarterbacks changing teams, high-profile trades and COVID-19.

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AFC Conference Odds

Odds as of September 3 at Bovada

NFC Conference Odds

Odds as of September 3 at Bovada

AFC Conference Preview

After three straight come-from-behind postseason wins, including their victory in Super Bowl 54, the Kansas City Chiefs (+295) deserve to be the favorites to win the AFC conference and make it to Super Bowl 55.

They have arguably the best quarterback to come into the league in the last 10 years in Patrick Mahomes, who floats all boats and makes marginal receivers into great ones, not to mention an offensive guru in head coach Andy Reid, who looked like a genius for trading up to draft him in 2017.

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The Chiefs also have shown over the last two seasons that they can knock off the next team on the list, the Baltimore Ravens (+325), who got exposed in their loss to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round after leading the AFC standings at 14-2 SU. The Ravens know their offense will still click with NFL MVP Lamar Jackson so they doubled down on defense and upgraded by adding DE Calais Campbell and DT Michael Brockers to shore up their pass rush.

The New England Patriots may have had the most high-profile departure with Tom Brady signing with Tampa Bay. That likely had most teams in the AFC popping champagne bottles (especially in the AFC East).

The Patriots, expected to go with former MVP Cam Newton at QB for 2020, are never a team to be counted out – without Brady in 2008 due to injury, they still went 11-5 SU for the season. The +900 odds feel too generous but it’s difficult to bet against head coach Bill Belichick, who is favored to win Coach of the Year.

AFC Dark-Horse Candidates

Indianapolis Colts (+1200)

It’s hard to call the Indianapolis Colts a dark-horse candidate to win the AFC. First off, it seems offensive and, secondly, they just improved significantly at quarterback by adding Philip Rivers to replace Jacoby Brissett. The Colts have power players at a lot of key positions, signed a wrecking ball in DT DeForest Buckner to shore up their defensive line and despite Brissett’s best efforts, Rivers is a clear upgrade at the sport’s most important position.

Rivers will have a lot of toys to play with, namely receiver TY Hilton and bruising back Marlon Mack, who should give him the luxury of not being required to throw 50 times a game. At +1200, these odds are very enticing as the Colts will likely win the AFC South and Rivers is very familiar with the Chiefs, having played in the AFC West for his entire career prior to his move to Indianapolis.

New York Jets (+3000)

The super long shot that most bettors are not talking about is the New York Jets (+3000). The Jets, on paper, actually have a very intriguing roster that could challenge in the AFC East because they have an up-and-coming quarterback in Sam Darnold, a solid RB in Le’Veon Bell and an underrated defense that was ravaged by injuries in 2019.

The Jets season was lost as soon as Darnold went down with mono in Week 2 last year and the fact they went 7-9 SU despite his absence for three games was a testament to the roster as a whole. It’s a long shot but at +3000, no other team in this odds range offers this kind of upside.

NFC Conference Preview

The NFC is typically the stronger conference top to bottom compared to the AFC, which is why the San Francisco 49ers aren’t as heavily favored as the Chiefs to make it back to Super Bowl 55. They still lead the oddsboard at +425 to make it back to the final game and that’s mainly because of their stacked roster.

The 49ers may have lost a top player in Buckner but they had so much depth at defensive line, they could afford to let him walk because DE Nick Bosa is a game-wrecker in his own right. Looking over the Niners roster, there aren’t many weaknesses outside of the lack of a true No. 1 receiver but they may take the training wheels off second-year receiver Deebo Samuel and let him mature into that role.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the second team on the list, made the biggest offseason splash when they lured Tom Brady away from New England. The Bucs defense led the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed and was fifth in rushing touchdowns, and Brady has some serious offensive weapons like receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski at his disposal. It remains to be seen how Brady will fare in Florida but the Buccaneers have shown they’re going for it in 2020.

The New Orleans Saints, the third team on the list, fell short again in the postseason when they were upset at home by the Minnesota Vikings and now have fallen victim to playoff collapses in the last three years. The Saints will likely still win 10 or more games but their stiffest competition may not even come from the postseason but from within their own division in the NFC South.

NFC Dark-Horse Candidates

Chicago Bears (+2500)

Looking for some under-the-radar squads that could challenge in the NFC, you don’t need to look any further than the Chicago Bears (+2500). The Bears defense has always been a staple of the proud franchise while quarterback was the position that got overlooked. Well, the Bears may have seen enough of Mitch Trubisky because Chicago added former Super Bowl champion Nick Foles to back up Trubisky and potentially take over as signal-caller.

It may be a lot to ask of Foles to pull off two miracles in his career but the Bears have a roster that’s ready to win now. Teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers regressed slightly on defense with free-agent departures and that could create an opening in the NFC North. That being said, betting against Aaron Rodgers is a tough ask.

Arizona Cardinals (+2000)

The next team that stands out as a long shot is the Arizona Cardinals at +2000. The Cardinals made the second-biggest offseason move in acquiring DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans for a bag of footballs and he will pair with WR Larry Fitzgerald to give QB Kyler Murray a strong passing combo to throw to.

It’s clear that the Cardinals offense will likely see an uptick in productivity but it’s Arizona’s defense that may hold the Cards back from competing in the NFC. The Cardinals were in the bottom five of the NFL in points and passing yards allowed per game. Not to mention they play in the NFC West, where the other three teams are all likely to be in the thick of the playoff race, so there’s a reason the Cards have a +2000 price tag.

Reading AFC & NFC Conference Odds

When you visit the best NFL betting sites, you’ll see AFC championship odds laid out like this:

Chiefs +290

Ravens +325

Bills +1000

The team with the lowest odds is the favorite. For instance, if you think the Chiefs at +290 are the team to beat, and you bet $100, you’d get a payout of $390 – your original $100 comes back along with your winnings of $290.

On the other hand, if you think the Bills look good at +1000 and believe they’ll inch their way to an AFC championship, that same $100 would give you a payout of $1,100 – your $100 is returned, coupled with your winnings of $1,000.

Our Odds Calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.

What is a Futures Bet?

This is a bet made on events that have yet to happen. It can be argued that all sports betting is on things that haven’t taken place yet; however, a futures bet can be made weeks or even months in advance.

Prior to the beginning of the NFL season, oddsmakers look at each team’s past records, off-season moves and schedule to set their odds. As the games are played and coaches are fired, players succumb to injuries, and squads climb or fall in the standings, the odds will change. Because of these line movements, we suggest taking odds you like as soon as you see them.