The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are currently viewed as the prime contenders to reach Super Bowl LX, scheduled in Santa Clara, California. The Patriots are favored by 5.5 points as they prepare to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game this Sunday.
This shift in momentum for the Broncos stems from the injury of standout quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle during Saturday”s close 33-30 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. Meanwhile, the Patriots secured a decisive 28-16 victory at home against the Houston Texans on the same day.
The Seahawks find themselves as 2.5-point favorites at home against their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, in the NFC title game. This will mark the third encounter between the two teams this season. Seattle dominated the San Francisco 49ers with a 41-6 victory on Saturday, while the Rams edged past the Chicago Bears, winning 20-17 in overtime on Sunday.
According to DraftKings, the Seahawks are the favorites to win the Super Bowl at +145, followed by the Rams at +210 and the Patriots at +270. The Broncos, however, are seen as significant long shots with odds of +1100. In their two regular-season matchups, the Seahawks and Rams split victories, with Seattle suffering a narrow 21-19 defeat on the road on November 16. Since then, the Seahawks have bounced back with eight consecutive wins, including a thrilling 38-37 overtime victory against the Rams at home on December 18, where quarterback Sam Darnold connected with Eric Saubert for a game-clinching two-point conversion.
DraftKings has set the over-under for this highly anticipated matchup at 47.5 points. The Rams previously achieved a 34-31 road win against the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round on January 10 before overcoming the Bears.
This upcoming clash between the Patriots and Broncos marks their first meeting since Christmas Eve 2024, where New England emerged victorious with a score of 26-23 in Denver. Quarterbacks Bailey Zappe for the Patriots and Russell Wilson for the Broncos will lead their respective teams into this crucial matchup. Defensively, the Patriots have been impressive, allowing just 19 points across their postseason games against the Chargers and Texans. DraftKings has also set the over-under for the contest against Denver at 40.5 points.
In their last outing, New England”s defense intercepted C.J. Stroud of Houston four times and recorded five takeaways. The week before, they pressured Justin Herbert, sacking him six times in a 16-3 win at home against the Chargers during the wild-card round. With Denver starting Jarrett Stidham, who has had limited experience as a starter, the Broncos will rely on him to perform under pressure. Stidham”s previous outings have resulted in a 1-3 record, with his best performance coming when he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the 49ers late in the 2022 season.
Stidham, who spent time with the Patriots from 2019 to 2021, was nearly promoted to starting quarterback but was ultimately eclipsed by the signing of Cam Newton before the 2020 training camp. Following a lengthy recovery from back surgery, he saw limited action and was traded to the Raiders after the 2021 season. Stidham is currently projected at -107 to pass for 190 or more yards against New England, while Patriots starter Drake Maye is at -111 to throw for 231 or more yards. Quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Rams is at -108 to pass for 260 or more yards, with Seattle”s Darnold at -106 to throw for over 240 yards. Both Maye and Stafford are considered leading candidates for the NFL MVP award.
