Uncertainty surrounding the top teams in the NFL has turned the championship odds into a grouped mess of numerous contenders all receiving similar lines to one another. And with the kick-off less than a week away, you can expect a lot more movement in lines as the weeks go by.
As it stands now, the Denver Broncos have been tabbed as the favorites to win SuperBowl XLVIII with 6/1 odds to stand victorious at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this coming January. But even with the favorite status on its shoulders, the Broncos’ line isn’t too far off from a pair of NFC West teams that have tabbed pretty much as co-favorites in the conference to win the SuperBowl. At 7/1 odds to win the whole thing, the San Francisco 49ers edge out the Seattle Seahawks (15/2) as the shortest offs among all NFC teams to raise the Lombardi trophy. The Green Bay Packers are third among all NFC teams at 13/1, followed closely by the Atlanta Falcons at 15/1, and this year’s likely dark horse, the New Orleans Saints at 20/1.
Following the Saints are a group of NFC teams that figure to get legitimate looks from bettors looking to cash in on a long sleeper. The New York Giants, the Chicago Bears, and the Dallas Cowboys are all at 22/1 with the Washington Redskins nipping at the heels at 33/1. From there, it’s a case of really, really long shots, highlighted by the Minnesota Vikings, the St. Louis Rams, the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles, all of which have been penciled as having 50/1 chances to completely turn the NFL world upside its head this season with the kind of under-the-radar seasons the Seahawks enjoyed last year.
Over in the AFC, there’s not a whole lot of parity going on as far as bookmakers are concerned. The only team that sportsbooks believe has a legitimate shot at competing against the Broncos are the New England Patriots at 17/2. The conference’s supposed third best team, the Houston Texans, are a long way down at 178/1 while the defending SuperBowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens, are further down at 25/1. Sharing in that line with the Ravens are its AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with fellow division rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, not too far behind at 33/1 odds.
The Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the San Diego Chargers are all at 50/1, representing the last of the AFC teams that are getting meaningful long shot odds to surprise a lot of people this year.
In the event that you’re just a die hard fan and you’re willing to swallow the lost investment of a doomed bet, it’s important to know that some of the teams at the bottom of the barrel could have decent chances of striking big, provided, of course, that a confluence of unexpected events leads to all the favorites getting eliminated from play-off contention.
The New York Jets lead the way at 100/1, followed by the Arizona Cardinals at 125/1, and the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Buffalo Bills, all of which have been priced at 150/1 odds. And for hilarity’s sake, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Oakland Raiders are both sitting pretty at 250/1 odds each. Not much of a gamble there, just a really fast way to burn through your hard-earned betting funds.
