Kansas City went into the Super Bowl as a three-point favorite, but Sunday’s outcome has Chiefs fans ready to turn the page.
They might like what they see in the futures outlook for Super Bowl 56 in LA. The sportsbooks in Iowa like the Chiefs, and they seem to like them a lot.
Kansas City is not just an odds-on favorite to reach the Super Bowl; they could hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a third time at the end of the 2021 season.
Sportsbooks also like Packers, Buccaneers
DraftKings has the Chiefs installed at +500 on the moneyline. Tampa Bay and another local favorite — Green Bay — are favored to come out of the NFC and win the Super Bowl at +900.
The next tier of contenders are:
- Ravens and Bills at +1200
- Rams (+1300) and 49ers (+1400)
- Browns and Saints at +2000.
The league’s long-shots are the Lions and Texans at +12500.
William Hill Sportsbook stacks the NFL’s top teams the same way. Kansas City is +550, and Green Bay and Tampa Bay are +900. DraftKings and William Hill are the two most-popular sportsbooks in Iowa, but there are plenty of other options.
Super Bowl futures
NFL calendar could change futures moneylines
Of course, trades, free-agent signings and the NFL Draft could shift team fortunes in the quest for a Super Bowl.
Teams can designate franchise or transition players starting Feb. 23. They have until 3 p.m. CST Tuesday, March 9, to lock in any decisions. NFL.com has an extensive primer, but players can change hands — and betting odds — three different ways before the new league year begins:
- The non-exclusive franchise tag assures a restricted free agent of a one-year contract with their current team. Teams must set the salary at no less than the average of the top five players in the league at the player’s position — or 120% of the previous year’s pay, whichever is greater. Other teams can negotiate with the player, but the player’s current team has a right to match the offer. Teams that sign away a player owe his former team two first-round draft picks.
- Exclusive franchise tags are less common. The player receives the one-year contract based on the top five position average and rival teams can’t sign him away.
- Transition tags are offered to players based on the average salaries of the top 10 players at the position instead of the top five. A team keeps a transition-tagged player by matching any contract offer. A new team wouldn’t have to give up draft picks if the player goes elsewhere.
The new league year and free-agency period begins March 17 — St. Patrick’s Day — so NFL roster moves could once again shift sportsbook futures in Iowa.
No betting on the NFL Draft
Offseason workout programs crop up once the calendar flips to April. The month ends with the NFL’s biggest off-the-field event. The NFL Draft is April 29 through May 1.
Even though Iowa sports betting laws say you can’t bet on the NFL Draft, there are a few players to watch:
- Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
- Ohio State QB Justin Fields
- Oregon LT Penei Sewell
- BYU QB Zach Wilson
Look for the NFL to set its regular-season schedule in April, and owners could add a 17th game, as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
Super Bowl 56 will take place at SoFi Stadium, home of the Chargers and Rams. The NFL’s plans for an extra regular-season game could push the Super Bowl to the second week of February 2022.
