--- title: "Rams Lead Seven NFL Favorites to Hoist Lombardi: A Trap" description: "The Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy honours in expert polling. See why four hungry underdogs make better picks." canonical: https://www.pickplay.bet/news/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy html: https://www.pickplay.bet/news/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy publisher: "pickplay.bet" author: "pickplay.bet Editorial" published: 2026-09-06T10:08:45.065+00:00 modified: 2026-09-06T19:45:04.941342+00:00 category: "News" sport: americanfootball tags: ["nfl", "super bowl", "los angeles rams", "buffalo bills", "bet with friends", "bet against friends", "prediction circle"] keyword: "los angeles rams lead seven nfl favorites to hoist lombardi trophy" reading_time_minutes: 4 word_count: 824 license: "© 2026 pickplay.bet. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Rams Lead Seven NFL Favorites to Hoist Lombardi: A Trap *Sean McVay's squad took 42% of the expert vote for Super Bowl LXI, but four title-hungry underdogs offer far better value for your picks.* By pickplay.bet Editorial · pickplay.bet · 2026-09-06 ![Polished football championship trophy illuminated by a dramatic spotlight inside a modern stadium at dusk.](https://uyiwgqpjjmnzwsehyqed.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/news/heroes/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy-1788723877875-93faq.jpg) ## Quick answer The Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy silverware ahead of Super Bowl LXI after taking eight of 19 analyst votes on 3 September 2026. Trading for Myles Garrett to pair with Aaron Donald pushed Los Angeles (+550) ahead of Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Houston. It sets up a heated prediction competition on pickplay.bet as fans bet with friends using virtual points. ## Key takeaways - The Los Angeles Rams earned eight of 19 championship votes from NFL Media analysts to lead Super Bowl LXI projections. - Four franchises seeking a maiden Super Bowl title—the Bills, Bengals, Lions, and Texans—received multiple analyst votes. - Super Bowl LXI will take place on 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. - The Kansas City Chiefs received zero championship selections across the entire 19-analyst preseason panel. - Trading for Myles Garrett to partner Aaron Donald gives the Rams the league's consensus premier defensive front. Sean McVay is loading up for another home parade, and gullible punters are falling for it again. On 3 September 2026, [NFL.com's news desk](https://www.nfl.com/news) confirmed that the Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy honours for Super Bowl LXI. Eight out of 19 analysts handed Los Angeles (+550) their vote after the front office paired Myles Garrett with Aaron Donald. It looks terrifying on paper. But you're probably going to pick the shiny favourite and regret it by November. Backing heavy preseason chalk is how you donate points to your mates. When you bet with friends, running with the media herd never pays off. ## The vote: Which teams cracked the Super Bowl LXI board? NFL Media analysts split 19 championship votes across seven franchises, handing eight to the Rams while four title-starved teams picked up multiple endorsements. Behind Los Angeles, the chasing pack is fractured. Three AFC contenders and Detroit each earned backing from multiple analysts. Four of the seven teams on the board are chasing their first title in franchise history. Here is how the panel voted in [NFL.com's official predictions report](https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-lxi-predictions-los-angeles-rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-to-hoist-lombardi-trophy): | Rank | Franchise | Analyst Votes | Super Bowl LXI Odds | Maiden Title? | Projected Matchup Wins | | :--- | :--- | :---: | :---: | :---: | :--- | | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 8 | +550 | No | vs. DEN (2), BUF (2), LAC (1), CIN (1), BAL (1), HOU (1) | | 2 | Buffalo Bills | 3 | +1000 | Yes | vs. LAR (2), DAL (1) | | T-3 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2 | +1900 | Yes | vs. SF (1), LAR (1) | | T-3 | Detroit Lions | 2 | +1900 | Yes | vs. KC (1), LAC (1) | | T-3 | Houston Texans | 2 | +1700 | Yes | vs. PHI (1), LAR (1) | | T-6 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 | +1700 | No | vs. BUF (1) | | T-6 | Dallas Cowboys | 1 | +1900 | No | vs. HOU (1) | Kansas City received zero champion selections. Zero. Only Grant Gordon picked the Chiefs to reach the final Sunday, forecasting them as runners-up to Detroit. We don't buy the Patrick Mahomes erasure, but the disrespect is real. ![Silver championship football trophy in an empty modern stadium at dusk](https://uyiwgqpjjmnzwsehyqed.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/news/heroes/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy-1788689258399-plcxt.jpg "Seven NFL contenders are chasing the Lombardi Trophy ahead of Super Bowl LXI.") ## Why the Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy hardware ![Silhouetted defensive line players in a three-point stance under dramatic golden stadium lights](https://uyiwgqpjjmnzwsehyqed.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/news/images/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy-1788722703647-ucrqj.jpg "A stacked defensive front gives Los Angeles top billing, but relying on veteran health across 17 games is a massive gamble.") The Rams sit atop the board because adding Myles Garrett to Aaron Donald gives them the scariest pass rush in football alongside a home Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium. NFL Media analyst Dan Parr laid out the case for Los Angeles bluntly: > "As much as I'd like to pick the underdog, it's hard to choose against the squad that could easily end up with the best offense and best defense in the league." Matthew Stafford commands an offense featuring Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. That is serious firepower. Then there is the venue. Super Bowl LXI lands on Sunday, 14 February 2027, inside SoFi Stadium. The Rams lifted the trophy there five years ago against Cincinnati. That was five years ago. Counting on another fairytale home run ignores how brutal a 17-game gauntlet can be on aging superstars. ## Four virgin contenders ready to ruin your pool ![Wet football helmet resting on turf under amber stadium lights during a night game](https://uyiwgqpjjmnzwsehyqed.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/news/images/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy-1788722719076-dw5of.jpg "Hungry underdogs like Buffalo, Detroit, and Houston are commanding strong backing from sharp analysts.") The Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans combined for nine championship votes as they chase their first Lombardi Trophy. Buffalo paced the pack with three votes. Former head coach Sean McDermott backed his old club on *The Rich Eisen Show*, forecasting a clash with Los Angeles in an [NFL.com interview report](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-bills-head-coach-sean-mcdermott-predicts-buffalo-will-reach-super-bowl-lxi): > "It would be Bills-Rams. That would be a great Super Bowl, Bills-Rams... Listen, people ask me all the time, 'Hey, do you still root for your old team?' And I said, 'Why wouldn't I?' Of course I do." Cincinnati (+1900) and Houston (+1700) each pulled two votes. Gregg Rosenthal picked Houston's defense to suffocate the Rams on a late defensive touchdown. Dan Campbell's Detroit squad (+1900) also secured two picks. They want rings, not respect. Much like the front-office gambles we track across [major sports news](/news), roster upgrades can shift power in a hurry. ## How to bet against friends on Super Bowl futures ![Dark abstract sports data visual with glowing amber and white geometric value curves](https://uyiwgqpjjmnzwsehyqed.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/news/images/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy-1788722737992-kd5mj.jpg "Odds-weighted pool scoring rewards players who fade media favorites in favor of high-yield sleepers.") Futures odds reveal heavy public bias, letting smart predictors clean up by targeting undervalued underdogs in private pools. On pickplay.bet, you play a [sports prediction game with friends](/) where points matter more than chalk. Picking the Rams at +550 gives you meager returns. Our platform uses odds-weighted scoring, so hitting on Houston (+1700) or Detroit (+1900) hands you triple the virtual points. Upsets pay the bills. Every week, your group can back an upset using the Lock of the Week token. That selection doubles your score on kickoff. You climb the private leaderboard while your buddies wonder where their safe Rams points went. You can even settle arguments with a head-to-head battle. ## Bottom line: Take the underdogs and bank the points Los Angeles deserves respect, but when the Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy chatter at +550, it is a classic trap. Buffalo, Houston, and Detroit offer far juicier returns for your season sheet. Set up your [NFL prediction circle](/bet-with-friends/nfl), bet against friends for bragging rights, and lock in the picks your mates are too timid to touch. ## FAQ ### Who is the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI? The Los Angeles Rams are the consensus favorite to win Super Bowl LXI after taking eight of 19 analyst votes on NFL.com in September 2026. Listed at +550 futures odds, they lead all contenders following an offseason trade for pass rusher Myles Garrett. ### Where is Super Bowl LXI being played? Super Bowl LXI will take place on Sunday, 14 February 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This marks the first Valentine's Day Super Bowl in league history and gives the Rams an opportunity to compete for a championship on their home field. ### Which teams chasing their first Super Bowl received votes? Four franchises seeking their first Lombardi Trophy received analyst votes: the Buffalo Bills with three votes, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans with two votes each. These four clubs accounted for nine of the 19 total picks. ### Why did the Kansas City Chiefs get zero championship votes? The Kansas City Chiefs received zero championship picks from the 19-analyst panel due to skepticism over roster depth compared to NFC powerhouses. Only one analyst projected Kansas City to reach the game as an AFC runner-up. ### How does odds-weighted scoring work on pickplay.bet? On pickplay.bet, every winning pick earns points multiplied by the decimal odds of that outcome. Backing long-shot underdogs awards significantly more virtual points than selecting heavy favorites, rewarding daring predictions on your private circle's leaderboard. ## Sources 1. [Super Bowl LXI predictions: Los Angeles Rams lead seven NFL favorites to hoist Lombardi Trophy](https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-lxi-predictions-los-angeles-rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-to-hoist-lombardi-trophy) — NFL.com. Preseason polling results of 19 NFL Media analysts, futures odds, and analyst matchup picks. 2. [Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates](https://www.nfl.com/news) — NFL.com. NFL news desk covering offseason trades, roster movements, and season forecasting. 3. [Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott predicts Buffalo will reach Super Bowl LXI](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-bills-head-coach-sean-mcdermott-predicts-buffalo-will-reach-super-bowl-lxi) — NFL.com. Sean McDermott interview details and prediction of a Rams vs. Bills Super Bowl matchup. --- Canonical: https://www.pickplay.bet/news/rams-lead-seven-nfl-favorites-hoist-lombardi-trophy Newsroom: https://www.pickplay.bet/news · Feed: https://www.pickplay.bet/news/feed.xml · About the product: https://www.pickplay.bet/llms.txt