2026 Super Bowl Predictions: Battle Of L.A.? Cowboys Win It All? Our Super Bowl LXI Picks

Finally, seven months after Super Bowl LX ended, the NFL has returned. But who will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium this upcoming Valentine’s Day? As the 2026 NFL regular season kicks off with a rematch of Super Bowl LX on Wednesday, we made our predictions for who will play in and win Super Bowl LXI. The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champs, but we aren’t too bullish on their chances of repeating. And we don’t think the New England Patriots will return to the Super Bowl this year, either. So, which two teams will go head-to-head in Los Angeles in February? There was only one team that was picked to win the Super Bowl twice among the seven of us, while one of us also predicted that the Dallas Cowboys will return to glory this season. Here are our full Super Bowl picks ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL season. Henry McKenna: Looking at the rosters as they are now, it’s impossible to convince me that the Rams aren’t the most logical and simple selection. There is no team that’s more complete. There is no team that has a better and more proven head coach. Their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is top three. Their WR1, Puka Nacua, is top three. Their defensive line is No. 1. Their top pass rusher, Myles Garrett, is No. 1. And even looking past their superstars, there really isn’t a weakness on their depth chart. So while I love a few teams to surprise, including the Bengals (simply by getting to the Super Bowl), I can’t convince myself that there is any team more likely to win the Super Bowl than the Rams. They are the runaway favorites, more than any year I can remember since 2007; it’s not even close. Score prediction: Rams 26, Bengals 20 Ralph Vacchiano: Ralph Vacchiano: Sean Payton is on a mission to put right what once went wrong, and it’s probably not best to stand in his way. He had the best team in the AFC last season and home-field advantage in the AFC Championship Game, and if he hadn’t lost quarterback Bo Nix to a broken ankle one week earlier, he almost certainly would’ve been coaching in his second Super Bowl. This year he has an even better team. If he can just have a little better luck and health, no one in the AFC will beat them. As for the Bears, their road will be loaded because they have to survive a bruising division and find a way past the loaded Rams and defending champion Seahawks. But the Seahawks aren’t what they used to be and the Rams have age and extensive travel issues to overcome. The Bears are a young up-and-comer in the NFC. Their team, and quarterback Caleb Williams in particular, also made a remarkable turnaround in Year 1 of the Ben Johnson Era. Now that they understand what he’s doing, Year 2 could be off the charts. Score prediction: Broncos 31, Bears 24 Ben Arthur: With all due respect to the Seahawks, who allowed the fewest points in the NFL last season, the Texans have the best defense in the league. They’re the most feared, at least, with All-Pro and Pro Bowl talent on every level. It was a unit so good that it could’ve dragged Houston to the Super Bowl last year in spite of offensive inconsistencies, but C.J. Stroud’s disastrous, four-interception performance in the divisional round to the eventual AFC champion Patriots was too much to overcome. Stroud may never reach his rookie year heights again, but he should be at least an average starter this season (what he was for most of 2025, by the way) — with a stronger run game and plenty of motivation from his uncertain, long-term future. A Texans team that stays on schedule offensively and maintains its dominance defensively can win the AFC and even take down the mighty Rams, who are as hyped as any team we’ve seen in NFL history. Score prediction: Texans 24, Rams 21 Steven Ruiz: If you’re picking against the Rams, you’re betting on them not being at full strength by the time the playoffs roll around. Given the age or usage of some of their key players, it isn’t a bad bet. But on paper, Los Angeles has the league’s best roster, perhaps its best coach and the reigning MVP at quarterback. The Seahawks have enough to push the Rams even if they’re healthy — which is why I’m predicting another matchup between these teams in the NFC title game — but I can’t say the same for any other team in the league. The AFC is more difficult to predict. I’ll take the Bills, who have everything they need on offense and should improve defensively with new coordinator Jim Leonhard. They’ll beat Baltimore in a surprisingly low-scoring game to make their first Super Bowl in three decades, only to get blown out by the Rams two weeks later. Score prediction: Rams 38, Bills 17 Greg Auman: The battle of Los Angeles! Both L.A. teams competing for a ring in their home stadium is maximum Los Angeles. The Rams have already won a championship there, but the Chargers have a chance to be the story of 2026, with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel getting Justin Herbert to places he’s never been before. The Rams will be the team to beat all season, so it won’t be easy to beat Matthew Stafford, Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald, but that’s what we’re calling. The Chargers will need to stay healthy in a way they couldn’t last year, but watch out for running back Omarion Hampton emerging behind a dominant offensive line. Score prediction: Chargers 24, Rams 21 Eric D. Williams: The talk nationally all offseason has been about the super team the Rams have built this year. And the Seahawks use that disrespect as motivation to repeat as champions for the first time since the Chiefs accomplished that feat in 2023. Speaking of the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid rebound from a disappointing season last year to reach the Super Bowl together for the sixth time, but they come up short against Mike Macdonald’s aggressive defense. Score prediction: Seahawks 28, Chiefs 24 Bucky Brooks: The Cowboys finally end their Super Bowl drought behind a dynamic offense and opportunistic defense. Dak Prescott caps off his MVP regular season with a spectacular performance that helps America’s Team secure the world title. Score prediction: Cowboys 31, Texans 24