Several NFL teams have gone so long without winning a championship that the last time they did so it wasn’t even a Super Bowl – we’re talking before the NFL merged with the AFL in 1970. Which of those teams seems poised to pull a Cleveland Cavaliers and bring home some gold? We’ll see, but first let’s take a look at those teams’ sportsbook odds of winning Super Bowl 51:
• Cleveland Browns +22000
• Tennessee Titans +13000
• San Diego Chargers +8550
• Detroit Lions +6750
• Philadelphia Eagles +6550
• Buffalo Bills +5350
• Minnesota Vikings +2050
• Arizona Cardinals +1225
The Browns (52 years since they won the NFL championship). They have new coach Hue Jackson and a slew of talented young guys. Talented as in they got mad skillz, and young as in inexperienced.
The Titans (55 years since they won the AFL championship). They have a potential franchise QB in Marcus Mariota, plus the offseason additions of DeMarco Murray, Rishard Matthews and Derrick Henry.
The Chargers (53 years since they won the AFL championship). Top notch QB Philip Rivers, receiver Travis Benjamin, rookie pass-rusher Joey Bosa and cornerback Casey Hayward could just make this team at least a strong underdog for people who bet on NFL at a sportsbook.
The Lions (59 years since they won the NFL championship). Matthew Stafford is an adequate QB, but he lost his best target when wideout Calvin Johnson decided to call it a day.
The Eagles (56 years since they won the NFL championship). Other than the lack of clarity regarding the QB spot (Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and rookie Carson Wentz are all in contention for the position), the Eagles have a skilled roster that they can build a franchise around, but that might take still a few years.
The Bills (51 years since they won the AFL championship). This team looks more like a regular season powerhouse than it does a sportsbook favorite to win the Super Bowl for people who bet on NFL.
The Vikings (47 years since they won the NFL championship). They won their division last year by beating the Green Bay Packers, and have become a force to be reckoned with on defense thanks to head coach Mike Zimmer. The addition of rookie Laquon Treadwell to running back Adrian Peterson and QB Teddy Bridgewater means the Vikings could repeat and surpass 2015’s successes.
The Cardinals (69 years since they won the NFL championship). Long-standing QB Carson Palmer had his best season yet last year with over 4,600 yards passing, 35 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 104.6. Sadly, Palmer ran out of steam by the time the NFC Championship Game rolled in.
