The new NFL season is just around the corner and anticipation is reaching a fever pitch.
The Kansas City Chiefs head into the campaign as the joint +600 favorites, a tag that they share alongside the San Francisco 49ers. The Arrowhead outfit has the chance to make history next term by claiming their third straight Lombardi, a feat that no team in history has ever achieved. However there are plenty of other top contenders gunning for their crown, and here are two teams currently considered outsiders that certainly have a chance of doing exactly that.
Cincinnati Bengals
When your quarterback and talisman say that your team is “built to beat the Chiefs,” people sit up and take notice. That is exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals QB said back in April, and there may well be some truth to what he says. The former Heisman winner has faced off against Patrick Mahomes four times in his young career, and he has emerged victorious on three of them.
It may come as quite a surprise to hear then that Paddy Power has priced the Bengals as long as +1500, below the likes of the Lions and the Eagles. Much of that may well be due to the Ohio outfit missing out on the playoffs altogether last season, but that was pretty much solely down to the fact that Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury halfway through the season.
The former LSU star is now fully fit and firing on all cylinders. Online sports betting tips made him a contender to win the Super Bowl MVP award three seasons ago in just his second campaign as a professional, and he will be aiming to lead his beloved Cincy back to the Big Game this season. with a receiving corps consisting of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, he certainly has plenty of ample support, but while the fearsome trip manages to get the job done?
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Joseph Lee Burrow pic.twitter.com/Rsbu9ecKER— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 5, 2022
Miami Dolphins
On the sun-kissed shores of Miami, another underdog tale is unfolding quietly but with purpose. Young head coach Mike McDaniel has ushered in a new era at Hard Rock Stadium, making waves over the last two years. He is now poised to take the next step in their development. For the two decades spanning 2002 and 2022, the Dolphins had reached the playoffs just twice; however, they have now made their way to the postseason in each of the last two seasons and the team is poised and ready for success.
The bookies currently make the Floridians a +2100 outsider and much of that is down to the fact that they have to somehow find a way to finally dispatch their AFC East nemesis Buffalo Bills. The New York state outfit has won the division in each of the last four seasons, securing a favorable playoff seeding as a result. However, the Highmark side has lost star wide receiver Stefon Diggs this summer, with the 30-year-old heading to the Houston Texans.
The Dolphins by contrast certainly aren’t short of options out wide. Tyreek Hill is arguably the finest receiver in the league while Jaylen Waddle isn’t far behind him. Former New York Giants superstar Odell Bevkham Jr. has recently joined via free agency and if he returns to his best then he too could cause problems.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa displayed his electrifying playmaking abilities regularly last season as he finished with the most throwing yards in the entire league. If he does the same again next season, then the Dolphins could certainly defy the bookies’ relatively low expectations.
The Frontrunners
While both the Bengals and the Dolphins could surprise people, its the reigning champions who are the heavy favorites to emerge victorious once more. Ever since Patrick Mahomes was brought to Arrowhead back in 2017, his beloved Chiefs have become the dominant force in the NFL. They are expected to be in contention once more, as are the San Francisco 49ers, the team they dispatched at Allegiant Stadium in the Big Game last term.
