While the Los Angeles Rams are rejoicing over the return of Aaron Donald, they might want to look the other way, as history does not appear to be on their side.
The past 20 times the preseason favorite had +500 odds or better of winning the Super Bowl, those teams have all failed to win the big game.
When Donald and the Rams announced on Sunday that the former three-time Defensive Player would be coming out of retirement, following a two-year hiatus from playing football, DraftKings Sportsbook had the team’s odds jump from +550 to +500.
The last team that had +500 Super Bowl odds entering the regular season was the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
Kansas City was the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl Champions at the time and was looking to be the first NFL team to win three consecutive Vince Lombardi trophies, but would end up falling short as they were dismantled in the big game by the Philadelphia Eagles.
When the Rams were still located in St. Louis, they fell short three times under these circumstances. They were the favorites to win it in 2000 [+300], 2001 [+400], and 2002 [+350].
The Rams’ journey to become the first team in over 30 years to win the Super Bowl with +500 odds or better comes after a summer that was littered with rumors of Donald’s return after the team after they traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, a year after he broke the NFL single-season sack record.
Los Angeles had one of the best offenses in the league last year, averaging 394.6 yards and scoring 30.5 points per game, led by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, who threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns.
They would end up falling short of going to the Super Bowl after losing to the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
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The Rams have spent the bulk of their offseason retooling their defense as they added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, to fix a unit that allowed 327.5 points per game last season.
With a refined defense and the offense still intact from last season, the Rams will be hopeful to win the game when it returns to Los Angeles on February 14.
