The Road to L.A.: Who Will Punch Their Ticket to Super Bowl LXI?
Photo: NFL
Five weeks are in the books, and the road to Super Bowl LXI is already full of twists. The preseason favorite is 2-3. A team that finished 6-11 last year is 4-0. And a 50-1 long shot is one of just three unbeaten teams.
Super Bowl LXI is Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Here’s who looks like the best bet to be there.
Where the Race Stands
Three teams are undefeated: Kansas City (4-0), Minnesota (5-0, on a bye in Week 6) and San Francisco (5-0). Eight teams that missed the playoffs last year have a winning record.
At DraftKings, the Rams and 49ers are co-favorites at +700, followed by Buffalo and Baltimore at +800 and Kansas City at +950. Seattle, last season’s champion, is at +1100.
Our Top 10 After Week 5
1. San Francisco 49ers (5-0). They have beaten the Rams, Broncos and Seahawks, and they did it at Seattle without star pass rusher Nick Bosa. Quarterback Brock Purdy leads the NFL with 13 touchdown passes and a 119.3 rating. This is the most complete team in the league.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0). Patrick Mahomes is back from the ACL and LCL tears that ended last season, and the Chiefs have a new weapon in Kenneth Walker III. The Super Bowl LX MVP leads the NFL with 537 rushing yards, the most through four games in 15 years. Andy Reid is 22-5 coming off a bye, and the Chargers (0-5) are next.
3. Buffalo Bills (4-1). Josh Allen is the MVP favorite. He had 331 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in Monday’s overtime win over the Rams, and he’s the first quarterback with a rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first five games. The defense needs to tighten up.
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0). The offense is still finding itself, but the defense under Brian Flores is the best story in the league, and the Vikings lead the NFL in turnover margin and have the longest winning streak at 10 games. Kyler Murray is getting more comfortable at quarterback.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1). The league’s best run defense (63.8 yards per game) and second-best scoring defense (14.0 points per game) are carrying a team that beat Philadelphia 19-17 in London.
6. Baltimore Ravens (4-1). They won at Atlanta in overtime with backup Tyler Huntley at quarterback. On paper, the Ravens might have the best roster in the AFC.
7. Seattle Seahawks (3-2). The defending champions lost 32-29 to San Francisco, but they’re still dangerous. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 583 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
8. Los Angeles Rams (2-3). The preseason favorites at +500 are in a hole, with losses to the 49ers, Broncos and Bills. All three came against good teams, though, and ProFootballTalk notes the Rams have five winnable games before their bye.
9. Denver Broncos (3-2). Bo Nix has 13 career game-winning drives, tied for the second-most by a player in his first three seasons since 1970. Thursday night’s game against Seattle is a big test.
10. New England Patriots (3-2). Drake Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns last week and has the Patriots on the rise.
The Two Teams That Look The Best to Make It to L.A. Right Now
NFC: San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have the shortest conference odds (+235), the best record in the NFC and a quarterback playing at an MVP level. They’re also 5-0 against a tough schedule.
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs. This is the harder call. The market sees a three-way tie between the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens at +420. But Kansas City has the best 4-0 resume, a healthy Mahomes and the league’s top running back. Buffalo is the biggest threat to this pick.
A 49ers-Chiefs matchup would be the third Super Bowl meeting between them, after Kansas City won Super Bowls LIV and LVIII.
Why Los Angeles Matters
This one is a big deal for the city and the league.
A rare double: It’s the second Super Bowl at SoFi in five years and the ninth in the Los Angeles area, which is the third-most for any city.
Valentine’s Day: It’s the first Super Bowl ever played on Feb. 14.
The history: The first Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum in 1967, so this is the 60th anniversary.
The Rams: In 2022, they won Super Bowl LVI on their home field at SoFi, becoming the second team to win a Super Bowl in its home stadium. A Rams trip this year would make them the first team to play two Super Bowls at home.
The road to 2028: SoFi will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will debut. Los Angeles hosted World Cup matches this summer, so the city is in the middle of a big stretch.
Teams to Watch
Buffalo Bills: Allen can beat anybody, and the Bills just proved they can win a close one.
Baltimore Ravens: They won without Lamar Jackson, and the AFC North is wide open.
Seattle Seahawks: Don’t count out the champs. They’ve lost only to San Francisco, and Smith-Njigba is playing at an elite level.
Los Angeles Rams: At 2-3, they still have the talent and the schedule to climb back. The NFC West is the toughest division in football.
Denver Broncos: Home field matters, and Denver has one of the league’s best home records since 2024.
The Trojan Horse Teams
These are the teams the market is sleeping on.
Minnesota Vikings: They started the year at 50-1 and are now 20-1. The defense travels, and Kevin O’Connell has won five straight in each of his five seasons. The catch is the toughest remaining schedule, by one ranking.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The best run defense in football, the easiest remaining schedule by one ranking and a head coach in Liam Coen who keeps winning. They need to clean up the mistakes.
New England Patriots: Maye is in a groove, and the Patriots just beat Buffalo. At +2,000, they’re a bargain.
Green Bay Packers: They’ve climbed as many as 10 spots in some rankings, and wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are making big plays.
Carolina Panthers: Yes, really. At +7,400, they lead the NFC South behind Bryce Young, and the division is wide open.
The Final Word
Thursday night’s Seahawks-Broncos game, Kansas City’s date with the Chargers and the 49ers’ trip to face Washington could all shuffle this list by Monday. But right now, the road to L.A. runs through San Francisco and Kansas City.
