The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most winning franchises in football, but this year the Cleveland Browns are finally given better Super Bowl odds.
Our worst fears have finally come true: The Cleveland Browns have been given better odds to win the Super Bowl this season than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In my lifetime, the Browns have never been a real threat to Pittsburgh. They were in the bottom half of NFL teams most years while the Steelers spent time in the spotlight.
Pittsburgh has won two Super Bowls since 2006 and have been to a third. Since Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004, they have never experienced a season with a losing record (finishing no worse than 8-8).
However, the good old days of feeling sorry for Browns fans is finally coming to an end.
The most recent odds from Odds Shark has the Browns more likely to win Super Bowl LIV than the Steelers. Here are the teams they believe are most likely to do so this season:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +700 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +800 |
| New Orleans Saints | +850 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +900 |
| Chicago Bears | +1200 |
| Cleveland Browns | +1200 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +1400 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1600 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +1600 |
| Green Bay Packers | +1800 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +2000 |
The Steelers come in 11th on this list with just +2000 odds of winning the big game. However, the Browns are tied with the Bears for the 5th best odds to come out on top this season. This is a drastic transformation from where they were just over a season ago.
The Browns found their franchise quarterback last year in Baker Mayfield. He was a fantastic player at Oklahoma who finished his college career 152 total touchdowns to 30 interceptions while passing for nearly 10 yards per attempt.
Unfortunately for Steelers fans, Baker seems to be the real deal, and showed an immense amount of promise for Browns fans last season – winning 5 of his last 7 games and almost pulling off a miraculous win against the Ravens in the final game of the season.
The Browns also added one of the best receivers in the league this season in Odell Beckham, and took the liberty of adding players like Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, Kareem Hunt, and Greedy Williams to bolster their roster.
The Steelers don’t mind being underdogs, and a moment out of the spotlight might be exactly what they need after the fiasco that was last season. Super Bowl odds aren’t predictors of what is actually going to happen, but it is concerning to see the Browns higher than the Steelers.
When it comes down to it, the Steelers will have a chance to prove doubters wrong this season. They know how to win, and they should be legitimate contenders again in 2019.