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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Matt Verderame

Matt Verderame’s Early Super Bowl LXI Sleepers for 2026 Includes Two NFC North Teams

The favorites are the usual suspects, with the Rams, Bills, Eagles, Chiefs, Ravens and 49ers all among the betting darlings to not only reach Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium but to win it all come Valentine’s Day.

But who are the teams nobody sees coming? Last season, the Seahawks and Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl, and neither made the playoffs the year before. In fact, New England was coming off a four-win season, while Seattle had traded away quarterback Geno Smith and star receiver DK Metcalf before reshuffling the roster.

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