Patriots and Seahawks to Meet in Classic Californian Super Bowl LX

by Roy Brindley, 27 January 2026

The New England Patriots, despite their excellent record, are underdogs against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

The New England Patriots can become the most successful NFL franchise in history with a seventh Super Bowl win. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• The New England Patriots are chasing history and records in Super Bowl LX.
• 2026 is the sixth time both Super Bowl teams have missed the previous year’s playoffs.
• The Seattle Seahawks are the betting favourites, making recent history against them.
• One Las Vegas Seahawks fan is on the verge of a $3 million payday.

Following 284 NFL games, 32 teams have been whittled down to two. Now, on February 8 at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, the New England Patriots will meet the Seattle Seahawks in one of the most unlikely Super Bowls in years.

Pre-season, the UK’s online betting sites offered the Seattle Seahawks on 66/1 odds. Two defeats from their opening three games saw New England’s Super Bowl LX odds drift out to 150/1. That price shrank week-on-week as the team went on a 10-game winning streak.

With 11 visits to the NFL’s biggest stage, the Patriots hold the record for most Super Bowl appearances. That record will become 12 next month. If the team wins, it will also claim the outright record for Super Bowl victories with seven.

Head coach Mike Vrabel could also claim a place in history as the first coach to win a Super Bowl as a player and then as a coach with the same franchise. Vrabel was part of the 2004-2005 winning Patriots team.

From Playoff Miss to Super Bowl Hits

The Seahawks are heading to their fourth Super Bowl since 2005. Taking the prize once, in 2014, the west-coast team is seeking to avenge their 28-24 defeat to New England from 11 years ago.

Despite these credentials, the forthcoming face-off is a surprising showdown. It will be only the sixth time in history that both teams have missed the playoffs the previous year. As a result, there was little form to suggest either team would have an exceptional season.

The last Super Bowl to feature two such teams was Super Bowl 38 in the 2003 season. Interestingly, on this occasion, the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers by a 32-29 scoreline. New England have won four Super Bowls since.

Low on Points and Favourites Beaten?

The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams (who averaged 15). New England’s defence has allowed just 26 points in the three games, an average of just 8.7 per game.

The stats suggest these two defensively strong teams will produce a low-scoring Super Bowl. Ladbrokes and other British betting sites have set their points total line on 46. The handicap market on the game winner gives the Patriots a +4.5 start.

Seattle are 2/5 favourites in the traditional money line market; New England are the 2/1 underdogs. It is a price that will not upset too many statisticians, as the betting favourites have been beaten in four of the last five Super Bowls, including the previous three.

Sleepless Nights for Seattle’s $3m Bettor

As highlighted by this column in September, one Las Vegas punter will be hoping the bookmakers’ forecasts are correct, with the prospect of a $3 million win if Seattle claims the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

MGM, a relative of the UK-facing BetMGM Casino, accepted a colossal $50,000 wager on the Seahawks at 60/1. It also fielded another $50,000 to win $1,400,000 on the side to win the NFC – which they did with victory over the LA Rams last weekend.