Super Bowl Standings Explained: How Teams Are Ranked

Super Bowl standings are not difficult to compile as the game approaches six decades of existence. There have been teams with numerous appearances in the game, while others haven’t sniffed a shot at a title. Perhaps the easiest way to compile standings is the same way one would organize league standings during the season, ranking teams by wins (if deadlocked, then use winning percentage to separate them). 

The only difference is there aren’t any Super Bowl tie games, while there could be during the regular season (rare, but possible).

Here’s a look at how teams get to the title game, and who’s earned best marks playing in it…  

How Is a Super Bowl Team Determined?

NFL standings during the regular season are a good place to start since only the premier teams earn berths in the postseason. As the NFL currently has a 17-game schedule, it’s not unrealistic to suggest a team would need to win at least 10 games to qualify.  

This isn’t gospel, however, as there have been some teams with sub-.500 records who’ve won really bad divisions.

How Does the NFL League Structure Work?

NFL playoff standings are an offshoot of the league standings themselves. In the 32-team National Football League, the two conferences (American and National) each have four, four-team divisions (North, South, East, and West).

Each of the conferences gets seven teams in the playoffs, beginning with the four-division champs. There are also three “wild card” teams, defined as teams who did not win their division but had the best records of that next tier.

The two teams with the best records in each conference earn a bye in the opening round of the playoffs, having the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in the AFC and NFC.

The other dozen teams compete in the opening round. Then, after the first round of the playoffs, the three surviving teams in each conference join the top seed to comprise the final eight.

The playoffs continue, with the higher-seeded teams hosting the games.

Once each conference has finished its playoffs, then the Super Bowl qualifiers are determined. 

Which Team Has the Most NFL Super Bowls?

Super Bowl betting odds are one of the more popular wagers in professional football. Bettors are out to find “future” profits on the next champion. Obviously, the board fluctuates during the offseason before the regular season, certainly as the regular season is unfolding.

It’s the job of the gambler to “strike when the iron is hot,” as in finding the best time to grab the best odds on a particular team(s). As the board can vary by site, “do your homework” is always a good rule to observe. 

By the way, answering the question above, through last season (Super Bowl LVIII after 2023), the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers had each won six titles in the Super Bowl era, while the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers are tied with five championships.

Go down the list, it’s the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants with four. 

So, in the Super Bowl standings, seven teams with 34 wins in the first 58 games,     

Which Teams Are Super Bowl Contenders?

Examine both the current standings and the current odds board to see the Super Bowl contenders. In the AFC, the two-time defending titleist Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens are among the favorites, Over in the NFC, it’s the never-been-there Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. 

Any Final Thoughts?

It was a game of humble beginnings at a not-full Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in January of 1967. Since then, however, the Super Bowl has become an unofficial holiday in America and other parts of the world. While the game remains the focus, there’s the high theatrics of the halftime show along with the high cost of the commercials. 

…and don’t forget the parties and the food. Super Bowl LIX returns to New Orleans for the 11th time overall (eighth inside the Superdome). Game LX will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and Game LXI at SoFi Stadium, located at the site of the former Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Make your NFL predictions at BetUS Sportsbook!