# 23rd Annual Super Bowl Early Picks Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 5, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369 "2026-01-05T16:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/21 "2026-01-06T03:05:51Z")
Chargers 24, Seahawks 20 Picking “my” team and who I think will really be there. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/22 "2026-01-06T03:14:11Z")
So far, I think I’m the only one to get the Panthers in the mix. I’m not sure if that’s smart or dumb. … I can confirm, it’s dumb, because I was thinking that Trevor Lawrence was looking pretty en fuego lately. I’ve just been informed that he plays for the Jaguars. Eh, fuck it. I’ll still take the flyer. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/23 "2026-01-06T03:41:39Z")
**Rams 24 Texans 18** ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/24 "2026-01-06T03:44:18Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > … I can confirm, it’s dumb, because I was thinking that Trevor Lawrence was looking pretty en fuego lately. I’ve just been informed that he plays for the Jaguars. Eh, fuck it. I’ll still take the flyer. Maybe you can see if you get partial credit for a related species. See also: Seahawks and Eagles ---
**Author:** ![stopnonstop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@stopnonstop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stopnonstop)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/25 "2026-01-06T03:47:07Z")
Bills 24, Rams 17 ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/26 "2026-01-06T10:56:47Z")
49ers 26, Broncos 20 ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/27 "2026-01-06T11:01:26Z")
Bills 27, Seahawks 24 And just because it amuses me to do so, I’ll go out on a limb and predict that the Seahawks miss a last-second field goal attempt. ---
**Author:** ![Pheoinix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Pheoinix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pheoinix)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/28 "2026-01-06T11:18:03Z")
Broncos 27 Seahawks 24 ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/29 "2026-01-06T20:06:24Z")
Chargers 31, Rams 27 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/30 "2026-01-06T22:36:06Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > See also: Seahawks and Eagles Who, of course, cannot play each other in the SB. There is only one bird in the AFC, and they missed the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/31 "2026-01-06T23:45:45Z")
Okay, let’s be serious now. I’ve been watching some season analysis and the Panthers don’t stand a chance of coming anywhere near the Superbowl. Am I allowed to change my pick? If so, I’ll post it at the end of the post to make it clear, but I just have to add … goddamnit, if I make this change and the Panthers pull it off and make it to the big game I’m going to be a gigantic chump. * * * My amended pick (if allowed): Patriots 35, Rams 24 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/32 "2026-01-07T00:34:50Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > goddamnit, if I make this change and the Panthers pull it off and make it to the big game I’m going to be a gigantic chump. In years to come, we will refer to this sort of thing as “pulling a Jack\_Batty”. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/33 "2026-01-07T00:48:25Z")
It’ll almost be worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/34 "2026-01-07T13:35:21Z")
Seahawks 20, Patriots 13 @AlsoNamedBort can you clarify how “Closest to winning and losing scores” works. For example say two people get the correct winning and loser. One predicts a score of 20-13 the ther 35-7. The actual result is 24-3 who would win and why? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/35 "2026-01-07T13:51:01Z")
Since this was how I won: Take the absolute difference between the predicted & actual winning score, and predicted and actual losing score and add them. Whoever is lowest wins. So Contestant A predicts 20-13. abs(20-24) = 4, abs(13-3) = 10 Total difference 14. Contestant B predicts 35-7. abs(35-24) = 11, abs(7-3) = 4. Total difference 15. Contestant A wins. ETA: A long time ago the tiebreaker was “closest to total number of points scored”, but that led to the insane possibility that if one person predicted 31-27, the other 60-0, and the final score was 31-30, the person who predicted 60-0 would win. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/36 "2026-01-07T15:00:48Z")
Seahawks 31, Bills 27 ---
**Author:** ![Pheoinix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Pheoinix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pheoinix)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/37 "2026-01-07T15:35:57Z")
I think first tiebreaker should be closest to actual margin of victory, followed by closest to total number of points. The only way both of these can be tied is if both picks are identical ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/38 "2026-01-07T15:38:56Z")
The problem with margin of victory first is if the final score is 23-20, someone who predicted 53-50 would win over someone who predicted 24-20. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/39 "2026-01-07T15:45:31Z")
I don’t mind making total points tiebreaker 7, but 5 & 6 are good as-is. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369/40 "2026-01-07T15:47:13Z")
I think if we get through all 6 and it’s still a tie, then congrats goes to our first co-winners. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23rd-annual-super-bowl-early-picks-thread/1026369.md?page=3)