Super Bowl 51 Expert Betting Picks
Posted by Joe Solari on Friday,July 29, 2016 4:28, EDT in
With Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets finally reading from the same page, we can now talk about the Super Bowl 51 picks with a lot of confidence and in a more all-inclusive way. Here is an updated look at the NFL odds to win Super Bowl 51, with special focus on the best online sports betting picks to consider in the NFC and AFC conferences.
Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Super Bowl 51 Expert Betting Picks
The Best Favorite Super Bowl 51 Picks
Green Bay Packers (NFC)
Forget the Marshawn Lynch-less Seattle, Green Bay is going to be the real deal in the NFC. With a healthy 17-5 All-time franchise playoff record, one of the best QBs in the league in Aaron Rodgers, the easiest schedule in the entire league and one of the most improved defenses from the offseason; it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect Green Bay to notch the #1 seed in the NFC, followed by a strong run that would see the Packers represent the conference in the Super Bowl 51 game.
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
It’s hard to bet against Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC, but with the New England playing its first four games without the ace starting quarterback, the remaining AFC teams should be able to take advantage and claim the top seed in the conference, which will eventually prove as the golden ticket for the Super Bowl. And the one team I like to secure homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs is Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is in his prime, Antonio Brown is unstoppable and Pittsburgh’s increasingly experienced secondary has been on the ascendancy. Throw in the stellar winning experience that is brought by veteran Coach Mike Tomlin, you get a Pittsburgh team that looks the part of being AFC’s flag-bearer in the upcoming Super Bowl.
The Best Smart Super Bowl 51` Picks
Arizona Cardinals (NFC)
By adding Chandler Jones and Robert Nkemdiche, Arizona just solved its biggest weakness from last season, which was the lack of a solid pass rushing unit. Combine that with an already established offense and a defense that played well enough last year (and has upgraded in the offseason), it goes without saying that the Cardinals will be among the most complete teams in the league in 2016. Meanwhile, nobody outside Seattle poses a serious threat to Zona in the division. With that, the Cards will almost definitely make the playoffs, either as the NFC West winner or a home-seeded wild card team. And after coming just one win away from last year’s Super bowl, Arizona should and must be considered as strong Super Bowl 51 contenders.
Cincinnati Bengals (AFC)
Hold up your horses, I am aware of Cincinnati’s drought without a win in the playoffs. But really, don’t you think that a healthy Andy Dalton can lead the Bengals out of that distasteful reputation? In case you are forgetting, Dalton is coming off several career-highs in 2015 despite not starting all games in the regular season. Should Dalton and Cincy’s key pieces stay healthy, making a run for the Super Bowl 51 title should be very possible. The Bengals are streaking on four straight playoff appearances and two divisional titles, so even if the Steelers will win the AFC North title like I think they’ll do, Cincy will still make the playoffs as a wild card team. And as long as the monkey is off their back with a first playoff win, everything should pretty much take care of itself, as we saw in Cam Newton’s unprecedented run to the Super Bowl 50 game.
The Best Longshot Super Bowl 51 Picks
New York Giants (NFC)
Unless you have been sleeping under a rock, you must be aware of the lethal combo of former Super Bowl winner Eli Manning and 2014 Rookie Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr. With more experience under OBJ’s belt, expect him to even be a better player. Then, of course, we have the many other solid pieces in NY Giants’ offense, and the splashy offseason spending that is sure to bolster the team’s defense. Now, assuming the top four spots in the NFC likely to go to Green Bay, Carolina, Arizona and Seattle (in whichever order), we should still have two playoff spots up for grabs. The Giants, Vikings and Cowboys will be the most likely candidates for these two spots, and of these three, I am willing to go with Minny and New York, largely because Dallas’ disciplinary and suspensions issues are likely to affect its performance. Oh, and Tony Romo may just get up injured again, unlike Manning who has proved his durability.
Indianapolis Colts (AFC)
Even with Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee making noise in the offseason about their improvements, I don’t see the Colts losing the AFC South title. Andrew Luck is the most experienced quarterback and arguably the best QB in this division, and that will show once the season begins. As for the questions about Indy’s defense, I believe a good number of answers were provided in the offseason. The AFC playoffs will be a different thing altogether, and downing the likes of New England, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Denver won’t be easy. But then again, this is an Indy squad that reached the AFC Championship game in the 2014-15 season, before getting contentiously eliminated by the Pats in the Deflategate scandal. With Luck and Co. back healthy after an injury-spoiled 2015 campaign, the Colts could easily crash the Super Bowl 51 party as a sweet longshot pick.
