Super Bowl Odds: Movers and Shakers

Whilst it’s undoubtedly too early to be thinking about the Super Bowl and which teams will represent their respective conferences in the big game, particularly in a season as chaotic and unpredictable as this, Betting Sports can’t help but sneak a peek at those ever-changing Super Bowl odds.

After six weeks of turmoil, those odds make for some interesting reading. We’ve taken a look at the figures heading into Thursday night’s Week 7 opener and compared them with oddsmakers’ lists from the preseason. Here’s a look at what we’ve found.

Climbing the Ladder

A surprising start to the season by Christian Ponder and Minnesota has seen Viking Super Bowl odds shorten more than any other team in the league.

We know that the further we head into the season the clearer the postseason picture is supposed to get. The cellar-dwellers fall off at a rapid pace with odds escalating while those teams putting together strong runs see their odds shorten. It’s simple really. This season though, strange things are afoot in the NFL.

Nine teams have seen their odds improve since kickoff in Week 1. The most high-profile of these is Houston (5-1). The Texans’ strong start to the season has seen their stock rise. 12/1 coming into the season, the Houston side actually shortened its odds to 4/1, before losing to Green Bay on Sunday Night Football last weekend. Today the Texans are 6/1 to win it all, a figure that makes the team joint favorites with New England (3-3) and San Francisco (4-2).

Atlanta (6-0) is another high-profile climber. From 25/1 in the preseason, the Falcons are now 7/1 to win the Super Bowl, an impressive 18-point climb (the second largest in the league).

Tellingly, defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants (4-2) has seen odds shorten. At 22/1, some thought the Giants’ preseason odds were a little insulting. But this is what the blue side of New York does. It lulls everybody into a false sense of security and then, bam, takes the Vince Lombardi trophy in February. Today’s 17/2 odds seem a lot more realistic.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the biggest climber is Minnesota (4-2). Little was expected of Christian Ponder and the Vikings this season, but a good start to the season that has seen the team vault into second place in the NFC North has seen those Super Bowl odds shrink from 150/1 to 50/1. That’s a cool 100 points. Hands up if you expected that when the season kicked off?

Other teams that have improved their odds with solid play are San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle.

Sliding Down the Ranks

With time for improvement slipping away fast, the Dallas Cowboys are one of a number of teams that have seen Super Bowl odds slip on the back of inconsistent play.

Whilst the high-profile likes of New England (3-3) and Green Bay (3-3) have seen a narrow slip in Super Bowl odds, some other preseason high-rankers have experienced a bigger drop-off.

Perhaps the most notable of these is Dallas (2-3) who entered the season with odds of 22/1 and have seen this drop to 50/1 on the back of inconsistent and irrational play. Once again, the Cowboys are well worth avoiding in the NFL Futures, as are NFC East counterparts, Philadelphia (3-3). The Eagles have seen a 24-point drop-off, again thanks to inconsistent play.

Another high-profile loser is Detroit (2-3). As with the Cowboys and Eagles, the Lions have performed well below par this season, and currently sit at the bottom of the NFC North, a division it threatened to top in preseason. Consequently, odds of 25/1 have dropped to a gargantuan 60/1, below Minnesota!

It should come as no surprise really that the biggest loser is Jacksonville (1-4). Save a surprise win in Indianapolis, the Jaguars have had little to boast about this season, and will more than likely finish as the AFC South’s doormat. Preseason Super Bowl odds of 200/1 have skyrocketed to 750/1. Anybody want a piece of that action?

Other big losers include Kansas City (1-5), Cleveland (1-5), Carolina (1-4), and Oakland (1-4), all of whom have seen odds drop by more than 200-points.

Finally, let’s hear it for Miami (3-3). The Dolphins are the only team in the NFL this season doing as it’s told, or at least as it’s expected. Ahead of opening week, the Fins were considered 75/1 to win the Super Bowl. Now, after six games that have seen three wins and three losses, the Dolphins remain at 75/1 to win the big one. Finally, a little stability in this wacky season of surprises, upsets, and general unpredictability.

Current Super Bowl Odds

*Preseason odds in parenthesis

Houston 6/1 (12/1) | New England 6/1 (11/2) | San Francisco 6/1 (9/1) | Atlanta 7/1 (25/1) | Green Bay 17/2 (6/1) | N Y Giants 17/2 (22/1) | Baltimore 9/1 (18/1) | Chicago 12/1 (15/1) | Denver 12/1 (15/1) | Philadelphia 35/1 (11/1) | Pittsburgh 35/1 (14/1) | San Diego 35/1 (28/1) | New Orleans 40/1 (18/1) | Seattle 40/1 (45/1) | Dallas 50/1 (22/1) | Minnesota 50/1 (150/1) | Detroit 60/1 (25/1) | Arizona 75/1 (65/1) | Miami 75/1 (75/1) | Washington 75/1 (65/1) | NY Jets 100/1 (40/1) | Buffalo 125/1 (55/1) | Cincinnati 125/1 (45/1) | St. Louis 200/1 (100/1) | Tampa Bay 200/1 (100/1) | Tennessee 200/1 (65/1) | Indianapolis 250/1 (75/1) | Carolina 300/1 (75/1) | Oakland 300/1 (75/1) | Cleveland 500/1 (200/1) | Kansas City 500/1 (50/1) | Jacksonville 750/1 (200/1)

Current odds correct as of October 18.

Preseason odds correct as of September 2.

All odds supplied by Bovada.