Super Bowl exact matchup odds, early values
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If betting the Super Bowl winner doesn't provide enough value for you - or you're torn between two worthy teams - there's some intriguing upside in the "exact matchups" market, which offers elevated risk with more rewarding prices.
You can easily mash together two likely title contenders, but what's the fun in that? Instead, it's worth finding a Super Bowl matchup that could reflect the direction of the season, or simply one that might not appeal to casual bettors.
Here are four of our favorite matchups to consider in the early Super Bowl market:
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1200)
How much will strength of schedule matter this season? If the answer is "greatly," this might be the bet for you.
The Chiefs and Buccaneers both play five teams that oddsmakers project to make the playoffs, tied for the fewest of any club. So the schedule offers each franchise a chance to make a title run.
The problem, unfortunately, is the price. The market has already sapped most of the betting value out of any Tampa-related matchups, with this one tied for the shortest odds on the board with Ravens-Bucs. Still, if you're a believer in schedule luck, there's some value here.
Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers (+1400)
Even if training camps go off without a hitch, the general upheaval of offseason schedules means we'll likely see players in less-than-ideal physical condition to start the season, which could continue over the entire campaign.
If it does, what better matchup is there to bet than one between two of the most physical, run-heavy teams we've seen in decades? That formula worked under normal circumstances for the Ravens and 49ers in 2019, and those squads will be ready to pound the rock from Week 1 all the way to a long-awaited Super Bowl XLVII rematch.
Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints (+1500)
Seemingly everyone is picking this matchup, and you should, too. The Ravens and Saints sport the most talented rosters in their respective conferences, and they're hell-bent on reaching the title game after disappointing 2019 finishes.
As we laid out on Wednesday, New Orleans and Baltimore are also two of the teams best suited to deal with a potentially shortened offseason, which is a strong factor to consider when betting exact Super Bowl matchups. If the 2020 campaign takes any odd turns, this will be an even more popular pick, and it's one of the few matchups truly worth betting now.
Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys (+12500)
The Bills and Cowboys offer two of my favorite values in their respective conferences, so let's throw them into a value-rich matchup that hearkens back to the 90s. Each team boasts one of the NFL's most talented rosters, but with one major question: Can Josh Allen steady the ship for Buffalo? And is Mike McCarthy the right head coach in Dallas?
No, there isn't a powerhouse team to anchor this matchup. But there are matchups with shorter odds featuring clubs like the Cardinals and Falcons, so we'll take our chances here on two legitimate contenders defying the odds in wide-open divisions.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.