2020 Super Bowl Predictions: Odds to Win Super Bowl 54

Last year in this space, my choice for the Super Bowl LIII matchup was the New Orleans Saints beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Atlanta. The Saints should have been in that game but were completely robbed of that chance by an egregious missed pass interference call late in the NFC title game against the Rams. L.A. would tie the game late thanks to that missed call (now coaches can challenge missed PI calls) and win it in overtime. I will go to my grave believing the Saints would have beaten the Patriots in the Super Bowl; New England won its sixth title in the Brady/Belichick era with a boring 13-3 win over the Rams.

NFL Super Bowl LIV Odds

As for Pittsburgh, the thought of Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell holding out the entire 2018 season wasn’t on anyone’s mind at this time last year but that’s exactly what happened. It was essentially unprecedented, but it worked for Bell as he got a big contract this off-season with the New York Jets. The Steelers might have reached the Super Bowl with Bell but would miss the playoffs at 9-6-1.

Glad I waited to write this story until I did because might well have picked the Indianapolis Colts to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIV on the first Sunday of February in Miami. That all changed, though, when star Colts quarterback Andrew Luck shockingly announced his retirement following the team’s third pre-season game. We doubt he’s done forever, but it’s pretty obviously Luck won’t play in 2019. The Colts still have a very talented roster but aren’t winning the Super Bowl behind Jacoby Brissett. Indy’s odds to win the Super Bowl jumped all the way to +5000 at Sports Interaction.

Luck’s decision obviously makes the road to the Super Bowl easier for other AFC contenders like New England (+700 favourite to win SB), Kansas City (+800), Cleveland (+1400), LA Chargers (+1400), Houston (+1800) and Pittsburgh (+1800), which not only lost Bell this off-season but also arguably the league’s top receiver in Antonio Brown. I get why the Patriots are favoured because they still have Brady and Belichick, but New England has lost future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski. And now centre and team captain David Andrews might miss the year with blood clots in his lungs. Brady is amazing, but the guy is 42. Regression is coming.

Don’t like the Chiefs because their defence is such a question mark. The Browns are a chic pick this year because of their vast improvement in 2018 and the off-season trade for Odell Beckham Jr., but barely anyone on that roster has even been in a playoff game. Let’s slow the hype train a bit … maybe in the 2020 season. The Texans have lost their top running back, Lamar Miller, to a season-ending ACL injury. The Steelers lost too much.

Our AFC pick is the Chargers, although we might be in the same type of Bell situation because their Pro Bowl running back, Melvin Gordon, is holding out. Just don’t think he sits the entire year due to the fact the circumstances surrounding Bell and his potential free agency were much different. Last year, the Bolts tied for the AFC’s best record at 12-4 and lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in New England.

The Los Angeles Rams (+750), New Orleans (+800), Chicago (+1400) and Philadelphia (+1400) are the favourites to win the Super Bowl from the NFC.

Not high on the Rams this year. Super Bowl losers very rarely get back to the game the following year, and the knee of star running Todd Gurley reportedly isn’t in great shape. The Rams might have been exposed a bit on offence in that Super Bowl loss and with how dependent they are on Gurley. The Bears were the NFL’s best defence last year but almost have to regress on that side of the ball because they were so statistically superior to everyone else. They also lost highly-respected defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to Denver.

The Eagles are definitely talented enough to win the Super Bowl, but star quarterback Carson Wentz has yet to show he can make it through a full season healthy. Remember, there’s no Nick Foles backing Wentz up now as Foles, the former Super Bowl MVP, is with Jacksonville.

If recent history is any indication, a second-year head coach will win the NFC title. It has happened the past three years: Rams (2018), Eagles (2017) and Falcons (2016). There are three second-year coaches in the NFC: New York Giants’ Pat Shurmur, Detroit Lions’ Matt Patricia and Chicago’s Matt Nagy.

Sorry, but the Giants (+7500) and Lions (+8000) aren’t making the playoffs. So our NFC pick is Chicago despite our concerns about defensive regression. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the offence will improve in the second year of Nagy’s system. The Bears might have reached last year’s Super Bowl (this writer believes they were the second-best team in the NFC behind New Orleans) if not for Cody Parkey double-doinking a potential winning field goal in a Wild-Card round loss to Philadelphia. Parkey is gone.

Who Will Win the Super Bowl?

Your Super Bowl 54 champion is the Los Angeles Chargers.

Super Bowl LIV score prediction: Chargers 24, Bears 20