2024 NFL Schedule

The 2017 NFL season is shaping up to be a difficult one to predict. To figure out which teams are most likely to face each other in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis in early 2018, you'll have to sort out the sometimes conflicting opinions of experts, Vegas odds-makers and computer models. Once that's done, if past history is any indication, you'll probably still have picked the wrong teams. Last year, for example, just about everyone thought the New England Patriots had the best chance to go all the way, but just about no one saw the Atlanta Falcons coming.

For 2017, prognostications are turning out to be especially tricky. Not all the divisions are mysterious, though. The AFC East doesn't spark much disagreement, at least for its top spot, with most experts picking the defending champion Patriots to easily win the division; however, right behind them will be, probably, the Miami Dolphins, followed by the Buffalo Bills. The AFC South is similarly tight, with the Tennessee Titans looking like the winners, but with theTexans also looking strong. Expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to take the AFC North.

The AFC West, however, is anybody's guess. The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers could all take the division trophy. Vegas likes the Oakland Raiders, though, and they could be the spoilers for all the experts' top picks.

In the NFC, there are also some division toss-ups. In the NFC East, the New York Giants are dominant, but not overwhelmingly so, expect the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles to remain in contention. In the NFC North, it's all Green Bay Packers at the top of the predictions, but both the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings could shake things up. In the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks look good, but the Arizona Cardinals don't look so bad, either. In the NFC South, the picture is particularly murky, with the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers all having a legitimate shot at the division title.

Picking those division champs is hard enough, but picking the eventual winner of the Super Bowl is close to impossible. Will the Patriots repeat as champs? They've got as good a shot as anyone, but still most experts are reluctant to commit to them. Ask any panel of people who should know, and you'll likely get a different answer from each of them. The Seahawks, Cardinals, Steelers, Packers all have their supporters, and many people are not counting out the Cowboys or Chargers as possibilities to go all the way.

The bottom line is this: predicting the NFL season's overall champion before the season even starts is a fool's game. It makes much more sense to let the season shake itself out, and don't even think about making predictions before the leaves start to change color. In the meantime, watch as many games as you can so that when you do start making predictions, you'll have some solid evidence to back up your Super Bowl picks.