The Kansas City Chiefs enter Super Bowl 57 as a 1.5-point underdog, making this one of the most even Super Bowls in NFL history as far as bookmakers in Las Vegas are concerned.
But that’s not always the case when the AFC and NFC meet to determine a league champion. And the underdogs aren’t always as out-matched as the spread makes it seem on paper.
Below is a look at the biggest underdogs to have won the Super Bowl, with all historical spreads provided via Pro Football Reference.
1969: New York Jets (+18) defeat Baltimore Colts, 16-7
In Super Bowl III, the American Football League’s Jets pulled off a stunning upset of the NFL’s Colts, who entered the game with just one loss on the season. Broadway Joe Namath guaranteed a win days prior to the game, and the Jets delivered with a dominating performance that saw them go up 16-0 before the Colts finally scored in the fourth quarter.
2002: New England Patriots (+14) defeat St. Louis Rams, 20-17
It’s funny to think of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as huge underdogs, but they absolutely were in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Rams were the Greatest Show on Turf, having just won a title two years prior. And the Pats were trotting out a backup quarterback. But their defense wasn’t phased, and the legend of Brady was born as he led the Pats on a game-winning drive capped by an Adam Vinatieri field goal.
1970: Kansas City Chiefs (+12) defeat Minnesota Vikings, 23-7
One year after the AFL’s best team beat the NFL’s best in a huge upset, the league often thought to be inferior reigned supreme again. This time it was the Chiefs, who finished second in the AFL’s West division, knocking off the Vikings, who were an NFL-best 12-2. Once again, defense was the catalyst for the winning team.
2008: New York Giants (+12.5) defeat New England Patriots, 17-14
If Jets-Colts is the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, Giants-Patriots might be the biggest upset in modern history. The Pats were looking to become the first undefeated champion in a 16-game regular season, behind a record-setting offense led by Tom Brady and Randy Moss. The Giants were a Wild Card team. But that Wild Card got after Brady with a ferocious pass rush, the “helmet catch” happened and the Pats’ hunt for 19-0 ended in stunning fashion.
1998: Denver Broncos (+11) defeat Green Bay Packers, 31-24
This was the first of two straight Super Bowls for John Elway to end his career, but before his run of titles, the Packers were the team to beat. They were seeking their second straight title after Brett Favre led a franchise rich in history, but with little recent success, back to the promised land the previous year. The lasting image from this game is the 37-year-old Elway’s first-down dive.
