Our 2026 NFL season picks: 61 experts predict MVP, both conference champs and Super Bowl LXI — SkimNews
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- Los Angeles Rams drew 43 of 61 NFC championship votes and 37 Super Bowl LXI votes, making them the consensus pick across both conference and title categories ahead of the Feb. 14, 2027 game at SoFi Stadium.
- Denver Broncos topped AFC predictions with 19 votes, ahead of the Buffalo Bills (13), Houston Texans (10), and Baltimore Ravens (10).
- Joe Burrow led MVP voting with 16 votes, followed by Lamar Jackson (11) and Josh Allen (8), even though only 6 experts picked his Bengals to win the AFC.
- The 2026 NFL season opens Wednesday with a Super Bowl LX rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
- Rams dominance in the NFC was near-unanimous — only the Dallas Cowboys (5), Detroit Lions (4), Seahawks (4), and Philadelphia Eagles (3) drew meaningful NFC support.
- Super Bowl LXI picks concentrated heavily on the Rams (37), with the Broncos (8), Ravens (4), and Bills (3) as the only other teams drawing multiple votes from the 61 experts.
- MVP voting spread across 14 different players, with quarterbacks accounting for 47 of 61 picks, including non-QB selections Myles Garrett (3) and Will Anderson Jr. (1).
Why it matters: The Rams drew 43 of 61 NFC votes — a level of consensus the AFC race (split four ways) and MVP race (split across 14 players) don't come close to matching. The gap between Burrow's 16 MVP votes and his Bengals' 6 AFC votes highlights a panel-wide disconnect: experts rate the individual QB as elite but don't trust the team behind him to reach the Super Bowl.
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