--- title: Super Bowl Odds: Why Traders Doubt the Undefeated Vikings description: The Vikings are 6-0, but Super Bowl traders remain skeptical. See how Kalshi's odds weigh Minnesota's perfect start against the NFL's other contenders. canonical: https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/which-nfl-teams-are-real-contenders/ author: Annie Nader article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-10-26T23:23:59.700Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-26T23:23:59.891Z article:section: Prediction Markets og:title: Super Bowl Odds: Why Traders Doubt the Undefeated Vikings og:description: The Vikings are 6-0, but Super Bowl traders remain skeptical. See how Kalshi's odds weigh Minnesota's perfect start against the NFL's other contenders. og:url: https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/which-nfl-teams-are-real-contenders/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1cc3dbf64753b05/6adf7953b303e771a63fcec6/GettyImages-2301639793.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2301639793.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Super Bowl Odds: Why Traders Doubt the Undefeated Vikings twitter:description: The Vikings are 6-0, but Super Bowl traders remain skeptical. See how Kalshi's odds weigh Minnesota's perfect start against the NFL's other contenders. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1cc3dbf64753b05/6adf7953b303e771a63fcec6/GettyImages-2301639793.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- The information presented here is created independently from the TIME editorial staff.  * [Prediction Market](/partner-content/prediction-markets/) # Winning Games Is Not Enough to Win Over Super Bowl Traders > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=3f35fd57-40d3-4331-aa83-d8c3df509ab3&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=3f35fd57-40d3-4331-aa83-d8c3df509ab3&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Annie Nader](https://time.com/author/annie-nader/) Prediction Markets Analyst Oct 26, 2026 11:23 PM UTC  Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) dances in the end zone with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after his scores a touchdown catch in the second half of play during a NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on October 25, 2026. Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) dances in the end zone with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after his scores a touchdown catch in the second half of play during a NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on October 25, 2026. Jeffrey Brown—Getty Images by [Annie Nader](https://time.com/author/annie-nader/) Prediction Markets Analyst Oct 26, 2026 11:23 PM UTC Only two NFL teams have been limited to 10 touchdowns or fewer this season. One has a [record](https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/schedule/%5F/name/lac/los-angeles-chargers) that makes perfect sense. The other has a perfect record. Against all odds and their offense's best efforts, the Minnesota Vikings are the only unbeaten team in the NFL at 6-0\. The Vikings entered the season with a 2% implied probability of being the last undefeated team, an especially pessimistic forecast considering they were one of just six teams with a bye in the first six weeks. Not playing is one way to avoid losing. Not scoring is a new one.  Former NFL cornerback Darius Butler is now calling for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores to be the "[betting favorite](https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/2114789688598732911?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet)" for Coach of the Year. The award is reserved for head coaches, though some double-take-worthy stats suggest Flores won't have to wait long for another head-coaching gig, should he want one. The Vikings are 2-0 when they don't score a touchdown. Minnesota's opponents are averaging 12.3 points per game against the Vikings and 23.6 points per game against everyone else. Twenty-seven teams have scored more points than Minnesota. Only one has outscored its opponents by more. However unconventional the route, Minnesota is running alongside promising company: 19 of the past 20 teams to be the league's last undefeated team made the playoffs, and eight reached the Super Bowl. Traders aren't buying the precedent, though. Two teams that are .500 between them have a better combined chance of winning the Super Bowl than four teams, including the Vikings, that have gone a combined 21-6\. ## Super Bowl Odds Below are the [2027 Super Bowl odds](https://kalshi.com/markets/kxsb/super-bowl/kxsb-27), per Kalshi.  The 49ers, Bills, and Chiefs are the clear Super Bowl favorites at 15%, 11%, and 10%, respectively. No arguments there. San Francisco's +58 point differential is the best in the league while quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes continue to prove they could lead a horse to at least the wild-card round. All three teams entered the season among the [top six Super Bowl favorites](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/super-bowl-odds-rams-separate-from-the-field/). With just one blemish on each team's record through Week 7, they've given traders little to reconsider. Further down the board, some teams are winning games without winning over traders, while others are losing games without losing the benefit of the doubt. The Vikings, Browns, Steelers, and Broncos own four of the top-eight records. Together, they have a 21-6 record and an 11% chance of winning the Super Bowl. Compare that with the Seahawks and Rams, who combine for a 7-7 record and a 14% chance of winning the Super Bowl. The market is telling us which records are real—and which are deceiving. You don't need me or the market to tell you that the Seahawks are better than their 4-3 start suggests, or that the Browns are worse than their 5-2 start suggests. The Seahawks have outscored their opponents by 43 points. The Browns have been outscored by 13\. Seattle has ended up on the unlucky side of three one-score games. Though they've already lost as many games as they did all of last season, elite underlying metrics have caused their Super Bowl chances to move just one percentage point since the preseason, from [8% to 7%](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/super-bowl-odds-rams-separate-from-the-field/). The undefeated Vikings are favored to win the [NFC North](https://kalshi.com/hubs/nfl?tab=Divisions&scope=Division+Winner) and have the second-best chances of [making the playoffs](https://kalshi.com/markets/kxnflplayoff/pro-football-playoff-qualifiers/kxnflplayoff-27) among NFC teams. For a group that is widely expected to meet the Super Bowl prerequisite of reaching the playoffs in the first place, it may seem puzzling that the Vikings are tied for just 11th in the Super Bowl market, at 4%. The market seems to believe that kicking a few field goals and letting Flores and Co. handle the rest is a winning strategy for only so long. Minnesota's next four opponents—the Lions, Bills, Packers, and 49ers—are a combined 19-7\. That's a lot to ask of the defense without asking more of Kyler Murray's offense. Murray, whose season total of three touchdown passes makes for a fine afternoon for most other signal-callers, ranks 27th among 34 eligible quarterbacks in [expected points added per play](https://sumersports.com/players/quarterback/). The standings give each win the same weight, but traders are buying blowout losses less readily than close ones, and convincing wins more readily than narrow escapes. Minnesota has found a way to win without the end zone. The market thinks a touchdown or two could help come February. --- ## Read more from Prediction Markets [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/) [Open article: The World Series Nobody Saw Coming Has a Clear Favorite](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/no-one-budgeted-for-this-world-series/)  ### The World Series Nobody Saw Coming Has a Clear Favorite [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/no-one-budgeted-for-this-world-series/) [Open article: Tesla's Flying Roadster Hasn't Landed With Traders](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/tesla-flying-roadster-hasnt-landed-with-traders/)  ### Tesla's Flying Roadster Hasn't Landed With Traders [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/tesla-flying-roadster-hasnt-landed-with-traders/) [Open article: Jay-Z Will Reportedly Headline the Super Bowl. Who Could Join Him?](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/is-jay-z-headlining-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/)  ### Jay-Z Will Reportedly Headline the Super Bowl. Who Could Join Him? [READ MORE](https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/is-jay-z-headlining-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/) --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/which-nfl-teams-are-real-contenders/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/partner-content/prediction-markets/which-nfl-teams-are-real-contenders/"},"headline":"Winning Games Is Not Enough to Win Over Super Bowl Traders","datePublished":"2026-10-26T23:23:59.700Z","dateModified":"2026-10-26T23:23:59.891Z","description":"Minnesota keeps winning. 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