There are many professional sports to watch across the globe, but none of them compare to the excitement of watching the NFL. Football season brings packed Sundays of nonstop football, fantasy football, and a never-ending carousel of storylines revolving around the 32 teams. Every team wants to make it into the playoffs, but at the end of the day, there are winners and losers. Football has an 18-week schedule so every game matters, and there is tension in every one of them. The big question, though, is who will win the Super Bowl?
 I could end this article with three words that will answer the question above. Los Angeles Rams. That’s all. But I won’t do that because I think there are other teams in the picture too. The Rams’ odds hover around +500 to +550 on FanDuel, a substantial difference from the next closest team, the Bills, who are at +1000. All roads are pointing to an LA Super Bowl victory: their crew of superstars, the venue being their home stadium, and Aaron Donald coming out to retirement to join them. In the offseason, the Rams went all in. They traded for two of the league’s best defensive players, defensive back Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs and defensive end Myles Garrett from the Browns. They also added Jaylen Watson to bolster the secondary, and finally, defensive tackle legend Aaron Donald returned to form a formidable partnership with Garrett. The Rams built a superdefense in addition to their superoffense, and this team is incredibly well-rounded. I believe that things could go wrong for the Rams very easily, such as an injury to Matthew Stafford, their quarterback. They need their 2025 MVP healthy and slinging the ball well, because without him, the offense will struggle. Another possible question mark is Puka Nacua. I passed on him in my fantasy football draft because I’m worried about his disciplinary issues, as a possible suspension looms on the horizon. Nacua and Stafford are two of their most valuable players and are some of the biggest what-ifs, which could put a dent in the Rams’ title hopes. In addition, the Rams lie in a difficult division. The NFC West is home to the San Francisco 49ers, who are usually a team in the playoff mix, and the Seattle Seahawks, who are the defending Super Bowl Champions. Los Angeles is the overwhelming favorite as of now, but things can change with a snap of a finger.Â
Another team I have in mind for a deep playoff run is the Dallas Cowboys. With the team’s win total over/under at 9.5, this is a dark horse pick, but I believe that the Cowboys will be able to contend with the Eagles for the NFC East. They have one of the best offenses in the league, headed by a tantalizing wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and a stable running back in Javonte Williams, who had a strong 2025 campaign. In the 2025 season, Dallas boasted the second-most total yards per game, but only clocked in the seventh-most points per game. They lacked the finishing touch in many drives, but this year, it could all change. In terms of team strength, I believe that this is the closest the Eagles and Cowboys have been to each other in the last couple of years, and with good coaching, the Cowboys can take back the NFC East throne. The Cowboys had the NFL’s worst defense and worst secondary according to passing yards per game allowed, but at the end of last season, they fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired Christian Parker. I didn’t know too much about this guy, but after researching him, he seems like the perfect coach to bring in. He’s been working with defensive backs for the past seven years, including the last two years with the Eagles, where he helped develop phenomenal talents like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Parker is the guy to flip the script on the Cowboys’ defense and secondary, and I believe that Dallas will have a strong football team on both sides of the ball. After two straight seasons with a sub – 50% winning percentage, my prediction is that the Cowboys will be a major threat in the NFL and could make a postseason run.
The NFC is certainly stronger, but on the AFC side, the Houston Texans stand out to me as a favorite to make it to the Super Bowl, or at least far in the playoffs. In the offseason, they strengthened their already excellent secondary by adding safety Reed Blankenship on a three-year deal. Houston also traded for running back David Montgomery from the Lions, who will be their RB1 coming into the season, ahead of the sophomore Woody Marks. The rushing offense ranked 22nd last year, so the addition of Montgomery will hopefully spark better numbers for the team. The offense was incredibly mediocre last season, while the defense was top three, if not the best. The sophomore and junior year struggles of quarterback C.J. Stroud led to the offense significantly underperforming, but coming into Year 4, I believe Stroud will return to his rookie-year form. Remember, this team made it to the AFC Divisional Round last year with a second-rate offense, so if you pair their tremendous defense with a good offense, positive results will come for this team. In my opinion, the defense will be as good as last year, and the offense will take giant positive leaps from last year, resulting in a terrific, well-rounded football team. The betting markets don’t love them, as they have the sixth-best odds in the conference, but with the seventh-easiest schedule in the league, an offense with a point to prove, and a shutdown defense, I am all-in on the Houston Texans for a Super Bowl run.
In the three teams that I like coming into the 2026-27 season, two reside in Texas, while the other is from Los Angeles. The Rams are easily the team to beat as this season unfolds, but I see the potential for the Cowboys and Texans to surprise the league with their performances. 17 games will decide these teams’ playoff fates, and my prediction is that all three will have a solid playoff run. It should be an entertaining couple of months of football, and I’m especially excited for the 49ers-Rams Week 1 game in Melbourne next week.