If you want to know some of the top Super Bowl contenders for this season, all you need to do is take a look at the point spreads for Sunday’s Week 12 games. Five teams that are among the favorites to win the big game are listed as 10-point home chalk or higher, including the New England Patriots (8-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (9-1).
Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com
The Patriots are the biggest favorites on the betting board at -17 against the Miami Dolphins (4-6), who do not know if quarterback Jay Cutler will be able to play due to a concussion. Cutler left after throwing three interceptions in the first half of last week’s 30-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was replaced by Matt Moore.
The line has not moved yet, but sportsbooks will likely need Miami to cover the big number like the team did in a 20-17 road win over the Atlanta Falcons as 14-point dogs in Week 6.
The Eagles are hosting the Chicago Bears (3-7) early Sunday as well while the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers (5-5) in the prime-time matchup that night, with both Pennsylvania teams currently sitting as 14-point favorites. It will be interesting to see if that key number comes into play in terms of early betting, as each of the NFC North underdogs might see a little wagering in their direction prior to kickoff.
The Falcons (6-4) have not fared particularly well as double-digit chalk recently (see above), and they will be battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) as 10-point favorites in an NFC South matchup on Sunday. Atlanta has dropped two of three straight up under that scenario, going 3-6-1 ATS in its past 10 when closing at -10 or higher.
The Falcons will be playing on a short week after topping the Seattle Seahawks 34-31 on Monday Night Football while the Buccaneers won at Miami behind quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. It would not be surprising to see money come in on Tampa due to Atlanta’s struggles as a big favorite along with the fact that the Bucs have won three of the past four meetings.
The Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) are the fifth double-digit home favorites right now versus the Buffalo Bills (5-5), and they will try to rebound Sunday after losing SU as double-digit road chalk to the New York Giants last week. Like the Falcons, the Chiefs may see the public back their opponent and drive this number into single digits on game day.
