Should Rams have same Super Bowl odds as Jaguars and Browns?

The Rams 35-to-1 Super Bowl odds are weird given the conference they play in

Not only did the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl two years ago, they did so with several of the key components that are still in place such as Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and Cooper Kupp. So should the Rams have the same Super Bowl odds as two of the most hapless franchises in the history of the NFL?

The Rams are currently 35-to-1 to win next year’s Super Bowl according to odds posted at ESPN, same as the Jaguars and Browns, although at DraftKings Sportsbook L.A.’s odds are still 35-to-1 but slightly better than the Browns (+4000) and Jaguars (+4500).

In either case, L.A.’s chances of coming out of the NFC and winning the Super Bowl are roughly or exactly the same as the Browns or Jaguars winning the AFC over Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Aaron Rodgers? It’s hard to believe.

The current order of Super Bowl odds at DraftKings is as follows, starting with the best odds: Chiefs, 49ers, Ravens, Lions, Bills, Bengals, Texans, Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Chargers, Bears, Rams, Browns, Jaguars, Steelers, Colts.

Yes, the Rams have worse Super Bowl odds than a Bears team that features a rookie quarterback, Matt Eberflus as the head coach, and had the worst record in the NFL two years ago.

For the Browns to win the Super Bowl, they need Deshaun Watson to play good football for the first time since 2020 and then they probably need to beat the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers for the AFC North crown. In Cleveland’s history since returning to the league in 1999, they are 1-2 in the playoffs. That’s it: 3 playoff games.

Prior to that, the Browns last championship season came in 1964.

The Jaguars are 8-8 all-time in the playoffs and Jacksonville has made the playoffs in just four of the past 24 seasons. The Jaguars have made the playoffs twice since 2008 and have never reached the Super Bowl.

The Rams went 10-7 last season and the biggest obstacle between McVay and a deep postseason run is probably the 49ers, a team that has significant hurdles to clear before getting back to the Super Bowl. The Niners haven’t rebounded well from Kyle Shanahan’s past playoff failures. The top quarterbacks Matthew Stafford must best are Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Jalen Hurts, and Baker Mayfield, that we know of. That’s a lighter load than Allen, Rodgers, Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Burrow, C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, Anthony Richardson, Tua Tagovailoa, and Herbert.

So is it sensible that both the Texans and Jaguars, both the Jets and Dolphins, both the Chiefs and Chargers have as good or better odds than the Rams?

I know that I would much rather have a path to the Super Bowl out of the NFC West than any division in the AFC.

I don’t know if this is more about the Rams being a good bet or some of these other teams being a bad bet—I wouldn’t bet on the Jets—but these odds certainly make for some strange bets.