ESPN Computer Releases Super Bowl 59 Pick After Week 12
Yesterday at 03:33 PM
Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season is now behind us, meaning we are now a full two-thirds of the way to the NFL playoffs and a little over two months away from Super Bowl 59.
Several playoff-ready teams were humbled this week such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers. But the top dogs stayed on top with the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions both reaching 10 wins on the season, while the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers stayed hot on their trail with wins of their own.
With the week now over but several teams slated to play before the weekend, ESPN has released its new Super Bowl LIX pick based on their Football Power Index (FPI) computer model.
Coming out with the best odds after Week 12 are the Detroit Lions, who now have a whopping 25.4-percent chance of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy this February. In second are the Buffalo Bills with 12.5-percent, who despite having fewer wins than the Chiefs are currently just ahead of the two-time defending champions' 11.8-percent.
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The Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles are the only other teams with odds of greater than 10-percent per ESPN's FPI. Beyond them, only the Packers and Vikings have better than a three-percent chance of winning.
Not many teams have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention so anything can still happen with about six weeks to go. But it's safe to say that there's really only a half-dozen or so teams with a realistic shot of taking down the cream of the AFC and NFC crop.
Should the Lions really be considered Super Bowl favorites? Are there any other teams that you would put ahead of them?
Related: Matthew Stafford Admits He Wasn't Rooting For Lions To Win Super Bowl
