The NFL season is fast approaching with a host of teams fancying their chances of going all the way to win Super Bowl LIII in February.
Here are six teams to mark your card for who have the tools to lift the iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Pats can’t be overlooked
In what could well be Tom Brady’s final season in the NFL, it would be hard to write a season preview without including one of the most successful franchises in American Football history, the New England Patriots.
Of course Brady, at the age of 41, will be looking to go out on a high and claim his sixth Super Bowl ring but he will be without wide receiver Julian Edelman for the first four games of the campaign due to suspension.
Fellow receivers Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarelle Patterson will have to make the step up over the first four weeks of the campaign. However, over the course of the season, you would expect the Pats to be competing at the business end of the competition, and they are 6.50 to go all the way.
Can Eagles soar once more?
After many years of hurt, Philadelphia Eagles fans got their moment on Broad Street to finally celebrate their first-ever Super Bowl crown last season.
Enjoying the tag of underdogs throughout the campaign, the Eagles not only went on to claim the Lombardi Trophy in Minnesota, but they managed to do so without first-choice quarterback Carson Wentz.
The city believed in ‘Saint Nick’ and it was Nick Foles who managed to guide the Eagles to the title and they are 9.00 to win it again this season.
Wentz is nearing a return to action after his serious knee injury sustained against the LA Rams before the playoffs, while threatening runner Darren Sproles has recovered from his own injury woes.
With head coach Doug Pederson still at the helm, the Lincs will once again be a tough place for visiting teams to win.
It will take a monumental effort for the Eagles to reach those dizzy heights again but Super Bowl titles could be like London Buses, and Wentz has the ability to guide Philadelphia to back-to-back titles.
Rams on the rise
There are plenty of positive vibes coming out of the LA Rams camp ahead of the new season and the California outfit have the ability to build on their playoff appearance last term.
It’s a big year that awaits QB Jared Goff and he must make that next step up if he is to take the Rams to the business end of the competition.
Only the Minnesota Vikings and the Eagles secured more wins than the Rams in the regular season last time around, so expect another strong season from LA, who are available at 12.00 to win the Super Bowl.
Vikings wondering what might have been
Minnesota will still be hurting after their defeat to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game in Philadelphia.
The Vikings were agonisingly denied the chance to play a Super Bowl in their own backyard against the Patriots.
Head coach Mike Timmer will have to help the Vikings put the thoughts of ‘what if’ behind them and build on what they were brilliant at last season, defence.
Minnesota had the meanest defence in the NFL through the regular season, conceding 4415 yards and allowing just 23 touchdowns to be scored against them.
Only Philadelphia had a better rushing defence last term and that is a strong foundation for the Vikings, who are 12.00 to win the title, to build on.
With Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins coming into the franchise, the Vikings should have much more about them in offence, so watch out for Minnesota.
Jaguars determined to go that step closer
Jacksonville Jaguars, like the Vikings, were just one game away from making the Super Bowl last season but fell short against the Pats in the AFC Championship game.
Similar to Minnesota, the Jaguars have one of the most formidable defences in the competition and it was only the Vikings who finished above them in the standings for total yards conceded.
Quarterback Blake Bortles has room for improvement but if he can make the next step with his passing game then that could be the difference between making the Super Bowl and not.
Jacksonville were 17th in the standings for passing yards but top of the pile when it came to rushing, with Leonard Fournette set to be a real threat once again on the ground.
Head coach Doug Marrone will have learned plenty from his team’s efforts last season and Jacksonville could have the chance to do something special if they address that troublesome passing game.
The Jaguars are an attractive 21.00 to lift the trophy at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on February 3.
49ers could spring a shock
As an outside pick, the San Francisco 49ers appear like an interesting prospect as they look to end their wait since 1994 for a Super Bowl title.
The reason for the excitement surrounding the 49ers at present is the addition of highly-rated QB Jimmy Garoppolo from New England.
San Fran were 12th in the total offensive-yard rankings in the last regular season and the arrival of the talented 26-year-old from the Pats should see the Californians climb the standings.
The 49ers should have more about them on the other side of the ball too, as cornerback Richard Sherman could have a big impact at the Levi’s Stadium.
A Super Bowl winner with the Seattle Seahawks, the 30-year-old Sherman brings plenty of big-game experience and he will bring an influence on not only the defence but the entire roster.
As mentioned, the 49ers are an outside pick but with odds of 21.00, but they offer good value for a side that can have an exciting future with Garoppolo in the pocket.
A tough trip to Minnesota in the first week of the regular season will show how resilient the 49ers can be this term.
