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Super Bowl 57 has come and gone, marking the official end of the 2022-23 NFL season. So what's the first thing to think about in the offseason? Why, who will win Super Bowl 58, of course. The cycle of sports media is so beautiful, isn't it?
Anyways, betting outlets officially released the opening odds for Super Bowl 58 shortly after the game on Sunday, and they are quite revealing. Fresh off their second championship in four years, the Kansas City Chiefs open as sizable favorites at +600, per FanDuel. The Buffalo Bills come in second at +850, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers close behind at +900. The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens are the only other teams with better odds than +2000, sitting at +1500 and +1600 respectively.
That's nice and all, but that's not what we're here to talk about. Today, we're going over a few teams with longer odds to win the Super Bowl but are definitely contenders, nonetheless. These teams all have odds of +2500 or longer, and all have a legit chance to defy those odds.
With that said, here are three dark-horse Super Bowl contenders for the 2023-24 NFL season.
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3. Jacksonville Jaguars
After years of disappointment, Jacksonville finally broke through once again in 2022. The Jaguars caught fire towards the end of the season, winning their final five games to win the AFC South and the AFC's fourth seed. They then made a miraculous comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round, and gave the eventual-champion Chiefs a good fight in the Divisional Round.
Now, Jacksonville has a decent amount of expectations heading into next season. At+2500, the Jaguars have the ninth-best odds to win Super Bowl 58, tied with the Detroit Lions. On paper, they certainly have the pieces to make some serious noise next season.
On offense, Jacksonville has young stars at quarterback and running back in Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, and a solid receiving corps that should get better next season with the addition of Calvin Ridley. The Jaguars also have some strong pieces on defense, including Josh Allen and NFL tackle leader Foyesade Oluokon. On top of all that, they also have a Super-Bowl-winning head coach in Doug Pederson, who did wonders for the team this season.
The one big concern for Jacksonville is the salary cap situation. The Jaguars are about $32.5 million over the cap for next season, and they'll need to find a way to get under it somehow. As long as their core is intact, though, they should be a big threat in the AFC.
2. Detroit Lions
The Lions are in a very similar spot to their fellow cat team in Jacksonville. Both teams broke out of poor stretches in 2022 to finish above .500, and both have the same +2500 odds to win it all next year. While the Lions barely missed out on the playoffs, they are in a fantastic position next season.
Detroit's greatest strength is definitely its offense, which finished top five in both yardage and scoring this season. Defense is more of a question mark, but the Lions still have great pieces like Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston. Additionally, while Dan Campbell doesn't have the Super Bowl pedigree of some other coaches, his players will run through a wall for him.
The Lions are also in a good cap situation, with nearly $16 million in space and few key free agents. They also have two picks in the top 20, which they can use to shore up some of their weaknesses. Their division is also very winnable, with the Bears rebuilding, the Packers' future uncertain and the Vikings overachieving this season. If the Lions play their cards right, they will make noise next season.
1. Denver Broncos
Denver has the longest odds of any team on this list at +3500. Given how awful the Broncos' 2022 season, it's understandable why they would be further down on the list. However, there are many factors that should make the Broncos a much better team next season.
For one, Denver made a major splash in the coaching carousel by hiring Sean Payton. The former Saints head coach is not only a Super Bowl winner but a proven offensive mind who should help the unit improve from its dreadful 2022 performance. With the defense already being great, the offense just has to be decent for the team to succeed.
For two, the Broncos should (hopefully) have much better injury luck next season. It's easy to forget just how much of the team missed time, which torpedoed Denver's season even further. If the Broncos can stay on the field next season, that alone would be a massive improvement.
Obviously, the Broncos' road to the Super Bowl won't be easy. They share a division with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and the AFC as a whole is a blood bath. However, don't write them off so soon just because this season went poorly.
