Biggest Upsets In Super Bowl History: Namath, Manning, Elway…Burrow?
With Super Bowl 56 seven days away, gamblers across the US will once again be betting big. An estimated $700 million will be bet on either the Bengals or Rams to win or cover the point spread – and that total does not include prop wagers. Through the first seven days, most of the public has been leaning towards the Rams.
Except for Mattress Mack, who loves the Bengals! As of this report, the line has the Rams listed as a 4.5 point favorite. The opening line was LA -3, so the money is coming in slow and steady on the Rams.
Now, before you run to the window and follow the public on LA, here are four reasons you may want to look into both sides and plop your hard-earned money down.
These four teams had NO chance to win their Super Bowl games. At least according to Vegas oddsmakers they didn’t. In the end, the dog not only put up a great fight, but they also prevailed.
While Super Bowl 56 doesn’t boast a spread as big as the four games mentioned below, the Bengals beating the Rams would be a pretty big upset for several reasons.
You have a young QB vs a seasoned vet. The game is being played in LA. And most of all Vegas oddsmakers had the Rams listed as a top-three team to win Super Bowl 56 back in August. The Bengals? They were near the bottom at +10000.
Can Joe Cool continue his incredible run? If he does, this will rank near the top of one of the greatest Super Bowl upsets in NFL history.
Below are four reasons that Bengals fans should be optimistic heading into Super Sunday on Feb. 13.
Denver Broncos (+11) vs. Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl XXXIII
One of my favorites, because we had a ton on Denver! The Broncos and John Elway were being seriously overlooked heading into Super Bowl 33. The Broncos had the No. ranked offense and were a top 10 defensive team as well. Gamblers overlooked those facts – and maybe for good reason. Brett Favre was unstoppable back then and Green Bay was trying to repeat as champs. In the end, Elway stole the show and the Broncos rolled to a 31-24 victory.
New York Jets (+17.5) vs. Baltimore Colts, Super Bowl III
The game that put Joe Namath on the map! After bolding predicting that the 17.5 point-underdog Jets would beat the Colts, quarterback Joe Namath became an instant legend. There have been many huge upsets in sports since Namath and the Jets defeated the heavily favored Colts, however, this is the game that set the standard. Joe and the Jets broke the underdog mold in the Super Bowl era and this win is still considered by many as one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
New York Giants (+12) vs. New England Patriots, Super Bowl XLII
The Patriots were by far and wide the best team in the NFL back in 2007-2008. Tom Brady had weapons galore including Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. Brady also led New England to a 36.8 PPG avg, which was easily No. 1 in the NFL. So what happened to the 18-0 Patriots in the Super Bowl? The Giants played well and had lady luck on their side. Brady was sacked 5 times and the miracle catch by David Tyree ended the Pats bid at 19-0 – and another ring for Tom Brady.
New England Patriots (+14.5) vs. St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXVI
Okay Bengals fans, if you are looking for some inspiration in Super Bowl 56, here you go! Led by quarterback Kurt Warner the then St. Louis Rams were simply known as “The Greatest Show On Turf.” St. Louis led the league in scoring with just over 31 PPG and their defense ranked seventh in points against at 17 PPG. Yet somehow, someway, an unknown youngster drafted in the 6th round named Tom Brady just didn’t care about all the Rams gaudy stats and all the talk on how this game would be so one-sided. The Patriots run of six Super Bowl wins started right here with their 20-17 upset win.
