NFL Season 2018: Which NFC Team Will Reach The Super Bowl? Eagles, Rams, Vikings Among Top Contenders

The New England Patriots have felt like the clear favorites to come out of the AFC since winning the Super Bowl in 2002. It's been a much different story over the years for the NFC, as the conference has mostly been wide open with 12 different teams reaching the title game since 2002.

Entering the 2018 season, the NFC once again is defined by its parity, which includes the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and several other challengers. No NFC team has better than 11/2 odds to reach the Super Bowl and nine teams have at least 12/1 odds to come out of the conference.

The two divisions to watch will be the NFC East and NFC North. According to Vegas Insider, the Eagles are the favorites to win the East at 2/3, but they are followed close behind by the Dallas Cowboys (4/1) and New York Giants (5/1). Even the Washington Redskins have 6/1 odds to come out on top.

The Eagles are coming off a 13-3 season and Doug Pederson brings back several key players. However, the last time an NFC East won back-to-back division titles was when the Eagles won four straight titles from 2001 to 2004. The Cowboys and Giants have addressed weaknesses in the draft and free agency.

The North is a three-team race with two teams standing out. The Minnesota Vikings have 23/20 odds to win the division, but the Green Bay Packers (3/2) are not far behind and the Detroit Lions are still in the mix at 11/2. The Chicago Bears are the clear underdogs at 8/1.

The Vikings added quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason, while the Packers will have superstar Aaron Rodgers back at full strength.

The South doesn't have a top contender to reach the Super Bowl, but it should be the most competitive division with the New Orleans Saints owning a slight edge (3/2) over the Atlanta Falcons (7/4) and the Carolina Panthers (11/4), while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the longshot at 12/1.

The Los Angeles Rams are the 5/7 favorites out West, though the improving San Francisco 49ers (5/2) and Seattle Seahawks (5/1) could make things interesting. The Arizona Cardinals (12/1) are a team in transition.

While several teams are expected to be in the hunt to win the NFC, oddsmakers favor a three-team race with the Vikings and Eagles at 11/2 and the Rams not far behind at 13/2.

There should be plenty of dark-horse candidates, though. The Packers have 8/1 odds, while the Falcons and Saints both have 10/1 odds. The Cowboys, Giants and 49ers all have 12/1 odds.

A careful study of the NFC underdogs might be wise considering how the 2017 season shaped up. The Eagles, who were coming off a 7-9 season in 2016, weren't listed among the top eight-favored NFC teams in August 2017.

2018 Betting Odds To Win The NFC Championship (VegasInsider.com)

Minnesota Vikings, 11/2

Philadelphia Eagles, 11/2

Los Angeles Rams, 13/2

Green Bay Packers, 8/1

Atlanta Falcons, 10/1

New Orleans Saints, 10/1

Dallas Cowboys, 12/1

New York Giants, 12/1

San Francisco 49ers, 12/1

Carolina Panthers, 16/1

Detroit Lions, 20/1

Seattle Seahawks, 25/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 33/1

Arizona Cardinals, 50/1

Chicago Bears, 50/1

Washington Redskins, 50/1