Top Five Super Bowl Favorites According to Vegas

The NFL season is entering it's 14th week, and playoff talk is heating up. In this year more than ever, plenty of teams will be competing for the Lombardi trophy. 

The Los Angeles Rams, leading the NFC West at 9-3, and New Orleans Saints, who are 9-3 atop the NFC South, and Minnesota Vikings, tied at a league-best 10-2, were hardly expected to compete for the title coming into the season.

Things have gone a little more predictably in the AFC, with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers leading the pack. Still, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars looked poised to make playoff runs as well.

Who does Las Vegas see as the favorites to win Super Bowl LII in Minnesota? (Source: Westgate Las Vegas Superbook)

5. Tied: Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints (12-1)

The Seattle Seahawks have been a perennial contender under Russell Wilson, but had to bounce back from a shaky start to get to where they are now. Despite a 1-2 start and losing two of three games twice this season, Seattle is 8-4 and looking hot heading into the postseason. 

They currently hold an NFC Wildcard spot, and can challenge for the NFC West title, only one game behind with an upcoming head-to-head matchup.

Seattle can be dangerous in the playoffs, and Russell Wilson will look to head to the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in his career.

The New Orleans Saints weren't expected to be this good, but since their 0-2 start they've been the hottest team in the league. The Saints eight game win streak helped propel them from 80-1 preseason Super Bowl odds to a strong 12-1 today.

Brees and his strong running backs will look to bring New Orleans back to the big game for the first time since 2009, when they defeated Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts.

3. Tied: Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)

Coming into 2017, neither of these teams were expected to top their own division, but 14 weeks in, they're tied for the NFL's best record.

The Minnesota Vikings had a plan for this year, and started the season with 25-1 odds. After a solid start, Sam Bradford went down, but Case Keenum has been incredible keeping the Vikings afloat and atop the NFC North. The last time Minnesota smelled the Super Bowl was an overtime NFC Championship loss in 2009 with Brett Favre at quarterback.

This year, the Vikings look to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl at their home stadium.

No one expected Philadelphia to compete in the NFC East, with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants picked as preseason favorites. Oh how the tables have turned, as the Eagles held sole possession of the NFL's best record for most of the season.

Despite a loss to the Seahawks, a potential playoff opponent, the Eagles are tied for the best chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers went all the way to the AFC Championship before being halted by the Patriots. They came into this season with 10-1 odds, the second-highest, and remain at the second spot while increasing those odds to 7-2.

Pittsburgh's prolific trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell make them a threat to any team in the NFL. The biggest hurdle for the Steelers will be getting past the Patriots in this year's AFC playoffs. They'd likely be favored in a Super Bowl matchup with one of the NFC's best teams.

From 2005-2010, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to three Super Bowls in six seasons, winning the first two before a loss to Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers. It's been a dry spell since then, with only one AFC Championship appearance. Pittsburgh looks to get back on track this January.

1. New England Patriots (2-1)

No surprise at the top, as the winners of two of the last three Super Bowls come in at the top spot with incredible 2-1 odds. The New England Patriots have made six straight AFC Championships, and will look to go back to the big game in February to defend their title.

After defeating the Atlanta Falcons in overtime last February, the Patriots looked to roll straight through into the 2017 season. By some key injuries, including Julian Edelman, hindered the team, and at 2-2, questions started to swirl if the Patriots could continue to contend.

Eight straight wins later, they're doing just fine at 10-2. They still have homefield advantage to play for, tied with the Steelers in the AFC. Their last two conference championship losses both came on the road, and Tom Brady is 5-1 overall in home AFC Championships. If they get the top seed, you can almost pencil them for the Super Bowl.

Do you agree with these Vegas rankings? Are we destined to see an AFC champion win the Super Bowl? What about some teams on the cusp of the top five, like the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars?

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