LAS VEGAS -- Aaron Donald’s return did not move the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl odds, but it has moved bettors.
The Rams remain the clear betting favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at 11/2 odds, or +550, after Donald ended his two-year retirement and returned to the franchise Sunday. BetOnline Sports & Casino said Donald’s anticipated comeback had already been incorporated into its numbers, but wagers have since poured in on Los Angeles.
According to BetOnline Sports & Casino, the sportsbook’s Super Bowl liability on the Rams is now three times greater than its exposure on the next-closest team, the Buffalo Bills. A sportsbook’s liability represents the amount it would have to pay bettors if a particular outcome occurs.
The Rams’ price is half that of Buffalo, which has the second-shortest odds at 11/1. The Seattle Seahawks are next at 12/1, followed by the Baltimore Ravens at 14/1 and Kansas City Chiefs at 16/1. The Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles are each listed at 20/1 on BetOnline’s Super Bowl futures board.
Donald’s return only adds to the expectations surrounding a Rams team that was already projected to be the NFL’s best entering the season. Los Angeles is favored at +550 to finish with the most regular-season victories, well ahead of Baltimore at +800, and its projected win total of 12 is the highest on the board.
The Rams are also overwhelming favorites to make the playoffs. Their -500 odds carry an implied probability of approximately 83 percent, the best postseason chances among the league’s 32 teams.
Los Angeles is listed at 3/1 to win the NFC, followed by Seattle at 7/1. Philadelphia and San Francisco are each 10/1, while Green Bay, Detroit and Dallas are all 11/1. The Rams are also even-money favorites to win the NFC West, ahead of the Seahawks at +230, the 49ers at +325 and the Arizona Cardinals at +6000.
The surge of bets came shortly after the Rams officially announced Donald’s return. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year last played during the 2023 season, completing a 10-year run in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl every year and earned eight First-Team All-Pro honors.
Donald has recorded 111 sacks, 176 tackles for loss, 256 quarterback hits and 24 forced fumbles in 154 regular-season games. His most memorable play came at SoFi Stadium when he pressured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow into an incomplete pass on fourth down to clinch the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI.
The Rams will now attempt to return to that stage with Donald back on their defensive front. Super Bowl LXI will be played at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027, giving Los Angeles an opportunity to win another championship in its home stadium — and explaining why bettors are lining up behind the Rams before the season begins.