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Who will reach Super Bowl 61? NFL experts make their 2026 predictions

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • BBC NFL experts expect the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills to feature prominently in predictions for Super Bowl 61, although they differ on the winner.
  • The experts note that the previous season produced major surprises, with seven of eight division winners changing and Seattle beating New England for the championship.
  • The predictions also include possible breakthroughs for Denver, the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit, with further discussion of candidates for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

The NFL’s difficulty to predict is already part of the story. Last season, seven of the eight division winners differed from 2024, while the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, both Super Bowl favourites, missed the playoffs entirely. Seattle then beat New England in the championship game, giving the Seahawks their first NFL title in 12 years.

I think the NFC will be another battle between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. I'm going to go with the Rams, simply because only two teams have repeated since the turn of the century. I have them facing the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen finally gets to the big game.

· Rob StatonHis prediction for the teams that will reach Super Bowl 61.

The BBC’s experts see the Los Angeles Rams as the team most likely to emerge from the NFC. Rob Staton picks the Rams to face the Buffalo Bills, while Hugh Ferris and Joe Bradshaw also expect Los Angeles to reach the Super Bowl. Haydn Parry goes further, selecting the Rams to win it.

You could argue that, aside from an underwhelming head coach hire, there's little reason the 2026 Bills will be any different to the recent incarnations. I'm picking them to finally get over the line, though, and reach the Super Bowl, but to lose nonetheless.

· Hugh FerrisHis assessment of Buffalo’s chances.

The Bills are the recurring AFC choice. Several experts argue that Josh Allen, the NFL’s 2024 Most Valuable Player, is overdue a Super Bowl appearance. Ferris expects Buffalo to reach the game but lose, while Bradshaw makes the same prediction. Parry suggests that Joe Brady’s promotion to head coach could provide the missing ingredient, and selects the Bills to make the season’s biggest stage.

Surely the Bills can convert Allen's talent and make it to the season showpiece? Joe Brady's promotion to head coach might prove to be the missing ingredient.

· Haydn ParryHis case for Buffalo as the AFC representative.

Other possibilities remain in the discussion. David Brindle expects Denver to go at least one step further after losing Bo Nix to injury in last season’s playoffs. BBC journalist Ben Collins offers more unconventional choices, imagining the Los Angeles Chargers reaching the Super Bowl in their own stadium and Jared Goff leading Detroit to victory. The article also turns to predictions for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, including the larger role expected for Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs after David Montgomery’s departure.

Imagine if it's the Los Angeles Chargers that actually get to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium, and it's former Rams quarterback Jared Goff that leads Detroit to victory.

· Ben CollinsHis unconventional alternative prediction.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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