Super Bowl odds: 49ers, Ravens favored ahead of NFC, AFC conference title games
The 2024 NFL playoffs are down to just four teams in hunt for the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVII in Las Vegas. The Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions are the last teams remaining ahead of conference championship games.
Each team has a shot at a championship. It'd be the first Super Bowl appearance for the Lions but a win make it three titles for the Ravens, four for the Chiefs, and six for the 49ers.
Who will be the last team standing? Here's who's favored to win the Super Bowl, per BetMGM odds as of Friday evening:
2024 NFL playoffs: Conference championship, Super Bowl predictions ahead of Sunday games
1. San Francisco 49ers (+145)
The 49ers lead the odds after earning Kyle Shanahan's first fourth-quarter comeback facing a touchdown or more of a deficit. That win over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round secured San Francisco's fourth NFC title game appearance under Shanahan. They've won just one of the previous three conference championship games but this may be his best offense yet in San Francisco.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is a full-go for the NFC conference championship game. The defense is one of the best in the league by most any metric - points allowed (third), expected points allowed per play (sixth), and turnovers (tied for fifth) - and is healthy ahead of another potential title run. Quarterback Brock Purdy had one of his worst games of the season against Green Bay but made plays when it counted in the fourth quarter. The team can step up when the pressure's on.
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2. Baltimore Ravens (+180)
The top seed in the AFC cruised in the second half of their divisional round game against the Houston Texans. Quarterback Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback in at least the last 75 years to have two touchdown passes, two touchdown runs, 100 yards rushing, and a 100 passer rating in the same game. He showed why he's the favorite for his second NFL MVP award.
Baltimore's defense is one of the best in the league, too. That unit tied for the league lead in takeaways (31) and the league in sacks (60) as well as points allowed per game (16.5) in the regular season. Coordinator Mike Macdonald is a head coaching candidate thanks to helming a unit that is talented, deep at key positions, and able to play varied coverages. Baltimore hasn't been in an AFC championship game since the 2013 NFL playoffs and Sunday is their best chance at a Super Bowl appearance since then.
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3. Kansas City Chiefs (+380)
Kansas City's playing in their sixth consecutive AFC championship game Sunday. That's second only to the New England Patriots, who made eight in a row from the 2012 through 2019 NFL playoffs, and they've won two of their last five AFC championship games.
If there's a team that knows how to win on the big stage, it's Kansas City. Two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes is already sixth in NFL history in quarterback playoff wins with 13. One more and he'll equal Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, and Peyton Manning. This is the best defense coach Andy Reid or Mahomes have had in their time in Kansas City. They may be underdogs but they're the winningest, most experienced team of the four left.
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4. Detroit Lions (+800)
This is Detroit's first conference championship game since the 1992 NFL playoffs. The Lions are big underdogs Sunday against the 49ers and, should they win the NFC championship game, would likely be underdogs in the Super Bowl against either Baltimore or Kansas City.
More Americans are rooting for the Lions than any other team this weekend. According to betonline.ag social media data, 37 states are rooting for Detroit over the other teams in conference championship Sunday. Coach Dan Campbell and company have the Lions playing better than they have in decades. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson's shining in the playoffs (three sacks and three tackles for loss in two games) on defense while rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are powering a prolific offense.
They have a great shot but Detroit's defense is the worst of the four teams in the hunt for a title. That could make the difference and is the primary reason the Lions' odds are much longer than the other three teams.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Odds to win Super Bowl before conference title games all 49ers, Ravens
