At last, after weeks of speculation and fake Twitter accounts taking advantage of the situation, the NFL finally released its 2022 schedule via a three-hour televised program in primetime via its home NFL Network on Thursday night. The complete schedule is jam-packed with mouthwatering contests. The schedule release feels like Christmas Eve for some, and football fans around the globe can begin planning nationwide trips to watch their favorite NFL teams in action this fall. The schedule release that details all 272 contests immediately welcomes chatter centered around potential Super Bowl matchups.

The race to Super Bowl LVII, which will take place in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12, 2023, begins now. NFL head coaches are currently analyzing their schedules while mapping out their goals for the 2022 campaign.

31 hopeful franchises are seeking to dethrone Sean McVay’s Rams as the current Lombardi holders. With the exciting schedule release firmly at the forefront of our minds, we’ve consulted BetOnline’s recently updated Super Bowl odds and identified some of our favorite Super Bowl best bets. The top 10 shakes out as follows:

Buffalo Bills (+675)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+800)
Kansas City Chiefs (+1000)
Los Angeles Chargers (+1100)
Green Bay Packers (+1200)
Los Angeles Rams (+1200)
Cincinnati Bengals (+1800)
San Francisco 49ers (+1800)
Cleveland Browns (+2000)
Denver Broncos (+2200)

The current landscape certainly qualifies as intriguing. The defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams surprisingly rank behind five contending organizations. The oddsmakers are clearly expecting Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson to immediately catapult the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns to immediate contention. We’ve compiled some thoughts on the early listings below.

THE FAVORITE AND MY PICK: BUFFALO BILLS

The Buffalo Bills possess an excellent chance to finally cross the finish line. The presence of franchise quarterback Josh Allen allows the Bills to consider themselves among the top contenders on an annual basis.

The past three campaigns have been particularly cruel to the Bills. Over the past three seasons, Brandon Beane’s Bills have been eliminated from the postseason in every round excluding the Super Bowl (wild-card, divisional, and AFC Championship game). Advancing to a Super Bowl has been especially elusive for Buffalo, but Beane has impressively constructed a roster that carries the appearance of a legitimate championship-caliber squad.

Allen is considered an early MVP favorite and the Bills have surrounded him with an impressive supporting cast. Stefon Diggs will continue to serve as one of the league’s most impressive pass catchers, and recently signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension that keeps him in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. The addition of veteran guard Rodger Saffold helps secure up a stout offensive line. O.J. Howard and Jamison Crowder have joined to further strengthen an elite group of pass-catchers. The drafting of James Cook gives the Bills a legitimate pass-catching threat coming out of the backfield.

Defensively, signing Von Miller to a monstrous contract signals Buffalo’s intentions to win now. First-round cornerback Kaiir Elam should hit the ground running opposite shutdown cover-man Tre’Davious White. It’s difficult to poke holes in Buffalo’s roster.

THE NO. 1 CONTENDER: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The short-lived retirement of Tom Brady immediately transformed the Buccaneers from a rebuilding franchise back into Super Bowl contenders and general manager Jason Licht is very aware of the situation.

Licht has further enhanced the Buccaneers’ window to win a second Lombardi trophy in the Brady era by retaining two of his high-level offensive playmakers in Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette. Licht also acquired an excellent interior offensive linemen in Shaq Mason from the New England Patriots and replaced the departing Antonio Brown with an underrated wide receiver in Russell Gage. Rob Gronkowski remains an unrestricted free agent, but may still return to the Buccaneers before September arrives. The Buccaneers are extremely well-positioned to score 25-plus points on a weekly basis.

Former Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians gracefully retired and transitioned to a front-office role earlier this offseason and new head coach Todd Bowles, who recently served as the team’s defensive coordinator, is fully capable of building upon the Buccaneers’ recent success. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich returns and will continue to oversee a potent offense. Several NFC teams have been weakened by the happenings throughout the offseason.

The Green Bay Packers lost Davante Adams. The Dallas Cowboys let several high-level contributors walk in free agency, including Randy Gregory, La’el Collins, Amari Cooper, and Connor Williams. The steady Buccaneers possess an excellent chance to advance to, and win, Super Bowl LVII.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT: LOS ANGELES RAMS

It’s extremely peculiar to witness the Super Bowl defending champion Los Angeles Rams rank sixth among the current Lombardi favorites according to oddsmakers. The Rams’ chances of successfully defending their Super Bowl throne are currently viewed as less likely than a team that didn’t even qualify for the postseason last year (Los Angeles Chargers). It qualifies as borderline disrespectful to a Rams organization that has done an excellent job this offseason positioning themselves for more glory going forward.

The Rams have undeniably lost some key contributors, and that’s likely why the oddsmakers have soured on their prospects. Rams General Manager Les Snead couldn’t match the six-year, $120 million contract Von Miller received from the Bills. Long-term starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth retired. Darious Williams, Sony Michel, Austin Corbett, and Sebastian Joseph-Day are four additional starters that leveraged their 2021 season into sizable paydays or opportunities elsewhere. Salary-cap difficulties forced L.A. to trade Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans. This is all understandable, but it’s worth noting the Rams made two massive additions by signing Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner, and Snead is still expected to re-sign Odell Beckham Jr. before September arrives. Head coach Sean McVay is a brilliant leader that still possesses an abundance of talent at his disposal.

The Rams deserve more respect than they’re currently being given.