Whether you’re placing bets, drafting a fantasy team, or even prepping your Super Bowl party menu… we’re here to help. Renee Miller, Gary Davenport, and Gene Clemons give their early picks for Super Bowl MVP, who they think will have the most passing yards in the postseason, sleeper fantasy tips… and more. A lot more. Jump in for the postseason roundtable you didn’t know you needed!
Advertisement
1. Who is your pick to win the Super Bowl?
Gary Davenport: It’s hard to pick against a team with an MVP quarterback, the NFL’s No. 1 rushing attack and the NFL’s top defense in points per game. The Ravens haven’t just beaten good teams this year — they have wrecked them, including a two-touchdown win on the road in San Francisco. This isn’t the 2019 Ravens. They are balanced. Complete. And on a mission after past postseason failures. As much as it pains a Browns fan to say it, Baltimore is the best team in the playoffs. They’re going to show it.
Renee Miller: Ravens over 49ers. Two defensive and offensive powerhouses are favorites for good reason. There are always upsets, but I think these two teams have all the tools, including healthy players coming off the bye. Ultimately, I’ll be rooting for SF, but betting on Baltimore thanks to their QB versatility and stout defense.
Gene Clemons: I believe this is a perfect year for Baltimore to win it all. I believe in Lamar Jackson and I believe in Roquan Smith. They both embody the leadership and playmaking ability at their positions that all teams covet. Defensively Smith cleans up a lot of messes and really allows others to play free. He unlocks all of the jewels in this defense — from the pass rush depth up front to the aggressiveness on the back end. Lamar will be a repeat MVP for a reason but we have yet to see him truly unleash his full athleticism. When it is win or go home, we will see why so many teams were foolish not to draft him or make a play for him last summer.
All odds from BetMGM. Looking for NFL tickets? Buy them here.
2. You have $10 to make one long shot bet. It can be anything from an unlikely Super Bowl winner to a Wild Card alternate spread to a parlay. But it has to be at least 8-to-1. What is it?
Davenport: Joe Flacco has already gone on maybe the best postseason run by any quarterback in the history of the NFL. The “New” Browns have had their best regular season ever. With that defense? And Flacco without a **** left to give? The Browns are 14-1 to make the Super Bowl. 33-1 to win it. Those odds will drop after they beat Houston — in a game they’re favored in.
Advertisement
Miller: For consistency’s sake, I’ll take the Ravens as the highest scoring team in the playoffs (+700).
Clemons: I like the Rams moneyline over the Lions at +145. Stafford will be motivated to end the Detroit run. Then the Texans at home with all of their weapons tee’d up and nothing to lose? I’ll add that moneyline over the Browns at +120. And then the Rams game (51.5) and Cowboys game (50.5) to go over their numbers at -110 at piece. They will both be scoring-fests. That’s 18.5 to 1 if it hits. So a $10 bet will return $196. Not bad money if you can make it.
GO DEEPER
NFL playoffs: Busting four wild-card weekend myths plus how the weather will affect games
3. Who is your sleeper pick for fantasy football playoff leagues that make you pick a team and then hope they play a bunch of games? any position!
Davenport: David Njoku. It’s tempting to use him this week — Browns could get bounced, and Flacco targets him with a comforting amount of frequency. But if Cleveland is the party-crasher some think, so long as they live Njoku is going to eat.
Miller: That person should come from the 49ers, Ravens, Bills or Cowboys. My personal favorite late-rounder is Dalton Kincaid. Especially if you play in a PPR format. His 80.2 percent catch rate was second to only Cole Kmet.
Clemons: Dalvin Cook. It was a great decision by Cook — who was a good soldier all season while the Jets reduced him to spot duty — and a savvy move by the Ravens to scoop him up. They miss having a home run hitter in the backfield. The bye week gives him a chance to get up to speed in this offense and now he comes in and operates in the Keaton Mitchell role perfectly. He should have very fresh legs and a hunger to prove that he is still the guy who, just one season ago, rushed for over 1100 yards.
4. Who will finish the playoffs with the most passing yards?
Davenport: Lamar Jackson at +750 is a sneaky bet. Given that I’m (sadly) on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl, Jackson’s going to play at least one added game. And for all Baltimore’s commitment to running the ball, the team’s upgrades at wideout improve the odds for chunk plays. The run game kicks the door open.
Advertisement
Miller: Josh Allen or Dak Prescott. This isn’t a bet I’d place, though!
Clemons: Matthew Stafford at +1800 looks like a tasty selection. Now that so many have jumped off his bandwagon, it feels like a perfect time to jump on it. They have all the necessary offensive weapons to make another run to the championship. He has favorable elements to play in and because his defense is clearly not what they were in 2021, he will need to air it out more in order for them to win. I picked them to upset the Lions and that will give him another game — which will likely be against the Cowboys in another dome. He could have 700 yards in just two games.
5. For the confidence pool participants, who are your bottom 5?
Davenport:
- Pittsburgh Steelers: No T.J. Watt and Mason Rudolph at quarterback. Thanks for playing.
- Green Bay Packers: Were the game at Lambeau, different story. Problem is it ain’t.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Philly loses to Baker Mayfield in Tampa this week, because nothing matters anymore.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers could get smoked or win by double-digits. But Tampa won their way into the postseason. The Eagles, talented though they may be, backed in.
- Houston Texans: The Texans are the team no one wants to play — the Rams with home-field advantage. A good coach and a good quarterback can make you dangerous.
Miller: Since there are only six games, I’ll just give my full ranking least to most confident:
- Texans – There are good reasons to believe in each of these teams and although “defense wins championships” I’m betting on CJ Stroud and the Texans’ pass offense to be the difference. It doesn’t hurt that Houston has an above average defense as well.
- Eagles – If the Eagles were fully healthy, they’d be higher up, but with both Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown dealing with injuries my confidence takes a hit. The Bucs run defense is too good for them to simply rely on D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell.
- Lions – This matchup is exciting, and the Lions have put together an impressive season. They have exceptional depth at RB and WR, but the probable absence of Sam LaPorta is a bigger blow than some want to think.
- Chiefs – The Chiefs have another gear in the post-season, especially on defense, so I like them to win, but there are reasons to be cautious. Tyreek Hill is still a better receiver than all the KC WRs combined.
- Bills – Most people have the Bills as their top pick this week, but I’m from Western New York (Rochester). We’ve seen some stuff and our memories are too long.
- Cowboys – At home they’re impossible to bet against.
6. What three elements would a Super Bowl party have to feature for you to travel 25 minutes to attend?
Davenport: Good friends, good food and the game. Super Bowl parties have become culinary contests. And that’s fine. But cold libations and endless nachos go a long way. I know a ripper recipe for seven-layer dip. Just saying.
Miller:
- An extra bedroom
- People I really like
- A great menu
Clemons: First let’s start with the spirits. It can’t just be an all beer affair. You need the opportunity to transition from liquor to beer (“all clear”) or vice versa. Second, the crowd needs to be a healthy mix of people who are football junkies and those who just want to have a good party. There will be time to nerd out on the game but the vibe needs to be fun — almost like a bar but at a more relaxed home-like setting. Finally, the food needs to be on point. This is not the time to simply have pizza and wings (although those are great options); you need to also have something that shows you are invested in the spirit of the party. Is there a food theme? Are you making or providing dishes synonymous with the team’s cities represented in the Super Bowl? If not, consider it, because that’s fly!
7. Looking at Super Bowl MVP odds, how would you approach that as a bettor?
Davenport: I’d throw a sawbuck at Joe Flacco for the hell of it at +3500 and enjoy the ride. That Flacco is playing in the postseason at all is wild. That he’s in full “grip and rip” mode is that much better. I honestly don’t care how it ends, provided he continues to care not even a little about who he’s playing so long as his kids can watch. He already has the best postseason run ever under his belt. Maybe he just enjoys this.
Miller: If I’m making this bet now, I’ll make more than one and they’ll all be long shots. To that end, I like Deebo Samuel +3000 or any of Gus Edwards, George Kittle, Zay Flowers, or Mark Andrews at +15,000.
Clemons: If the Cowboys win the Super Bowl it will be because of two people: Dakota Prescott and CeeDee Lamb — so that is where I see the legitimate possibility mixed with the odds that make it worth a play. Prescott at +1200 and Lamb at +5000 represent significant return on your investment. I believe that I would place a wager on both to win the award then root like a madman for Lamb to go crazy in the big game.
Get the best of The Athletic’s coverage every morning: Sign up for The Pulse newsletter.
(Top photo: Michael Owens/Getty Images)