Predictions play an important role when it comes to NFL – they allow us to compare teams, get a better idea of what to expect throughout the season, and help us to place bets to win a bit of cash. Of course, their predictions are based on a few factors, like last season, and players that have been added to the team, and we cannot rely on them to accurately predict what’s going to happen – as we saw this season with a few unexpected successes – which we will look at in more detail below. There were 256 props on last years Super Bowl at one sportsbook, so it’s safe to say it’s one of the most diverse events when it comes to bets you can choose from! But how did the predictions for last year turn out? We’ll look back at some of the teams, their predictions, and how they measured up last season.
The Rams
If you follow NFL, you’ll know that the Los Angeles Rams lifted the trophy at the SoFi stadium last year, as they went up against the mighty Cincinnati Bengals, to beat them 20 -23 on the day. When it comes to predictions, The Rams were not said to be in the top 3 when it came to expected winners of the Super Bowl last year, in fact, they were actually ranked 4th. The team managed to beat the Bengals to come out on top – their first Super Bowl win since 2000. The Rams had a record of 12-5 last season and won five titles over the course of 2021/2022, such as the Wild Card Playoffs, Divisional Playoffs, NFC championship and, of course, The Super Bowl.
The 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are next up as we take a look at how their odds last season measured up. It was their 72nd season in the NFL, and 5th year under the leadership of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. The team managed to improve their record from the 2020 season, and even managed to go ahead and win 7 of the last 9 games they played. One of the most notable wins was over The Rams in week 18. The 49ers clawed back from being beaten 17-0, to win 27-24. This helped them to get into the playoffs. Their team had some prominent achievements too, having the 5th best defence in the league. The 49ers were ranked first to win the Super Bowl last year – which they didn’t manage to pull off, but they did manage to reach the NFC title game.
The Chiefs
The Kansas City-based Chiefs were ranked overall 5th when it came to predictions last year, but they managed to reach their conference game. Their record was 12-5 throughout the season, and they hosted their conference championship – but unfortunately, although making it this far, they couldn’t quite hold off the Bengals, and lost 24-27 in overtime. The Chiefs managed to come 1st in the AFC West Division and won their Wild Card Playoffs against The Steelers. They also racked up another win against the Bills in the Divisional Playoffs. Generally, the Chiefs had a good year, coming top of their conference – better than the predictions may have shown!
The Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals caused the biggest shake-up when it came to predictions and how the season would pan out for them. Although many said that they would be an improved team, they blew that prediction out of the water. Ranked incredibly low down the pecking order when it comes to who would make it to the Super Bowl, this team proved sportsbooks and experts all over the country – if not the world – wrong! The Bengals made it all the way to the Super Bowl to go head-to-head with the Rams, who were undoubtedly higher up the list than them – and although they didn’t win, the margin was tight – as the LA team pipped them to the win by just 3 points. A team that was understated but proved everyone wrong.
