NFL teams are spending the offseason crafting their rosters in an attempt to fill any holes and set themselves up for a run to Super Bowl LIII. These teams, in particular, have done a great job of building a team that should be a serious threat on the biggest stage, as they appear to be strong both on the offensive and defensive sides of the football.
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1. Los Angeles Rams
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"Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – THE RAMS ARE BACK!" by Ron Reiring (CC BY 2.0)[/credit]
After a 2017 season where the Rams progressed well ahead of schedule, the team has made it clear that they are going to be aggressive in pushing their team to the next level in 2018. They have acquired several high-profile defensive backs, including former Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib and former Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters. These were direct responses to their failures from last season, where they struggled to get defensive stops and relied on their offense to win games.
Offensively, the Rams are as strong as they were last season. Head coach Sean McVay runs an offense led by quarterback Jared Goff, who should only improve in his third year as a pro. He will have the help of running back Todd Gurley, who arguably should have been the league's most valuable player last season. In 2018, expect their improved offense to take them to their first Super Bowl since moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
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2. Philadelphia Eagles
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"Philadelphia Eagles" by steve eng (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)[/credit]
Last year's Super Bowl champions, the Eagles bring back the majority of the players responsible for their incredible 2017 season. They will also have their best player back in 2018 when quarterback Carson Wentz returns from a knee injury that cut last season short for him. The fact that the defending champions will get even better thanks to the return of their quarterback is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
The Eagles are a team built on big plays on both offense and defense, with some of their most memorable moments from last season coming from long touchdowns and turnovers. As such, they were responsible for big movements in live betting odds throughout the season. With Wentz back, Betsafe's live betting odds for the NFL will move quickly again with each long offensive play he helps create.
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3. New England Patriots
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Elise Amendola/AP Photo[/credit]
This year's New England Patriots team should take a substantial step back from last year's squad that reached Super Bowl LII. However, they should still find a way to get back to the Super Bowl if for no other reason than that they have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, while the rest of the conference is full of teams with flaws that are too big to ignore.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a great defense but are stuck with Blake Bortles at quarterback. Pittsburgh has a great offense but struggles to play defense against even decent teams, even when they are at home. And the rest of the conference is average at best. While some losses along the offensive line will hurt the Patriots, they should still find a way to get to yet another Super Bowl.
