Patriots become odds-on favorite

Only last week, the New England Patriots were being written off by folks all over the country. The Patriots had limped into the postseason with a 12-4 record, losing four of their last six regular-season games. The team looked hurt and tired, ripe for the picking to sat the least.

Then, New England rallied in a way it has so many times under the leadership of both head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Against a quality Kansas City Chiefs team that had won 11 consecutive games including a 30-0 blowout of the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round, New England found its stride. The Patriots rode the return of Julian Edelman and two Rob Gronkowski touchdowns to a 27-20 win, and now find themselves in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.

While Denver is the top seed in the conference, almost nobody believes it is the best team. The Broncos have enjoyed the National Football League’s best defense throughout the year, but spotty coaching decisions and a rancid offense had left them vulnerable. This week, it will be the 39-year-old Peyton Manning trying to turn the clock back one more time in hopes of reaching his fourth Super Bowl. Should he lose, it could be not only his last game in Denver, but his last game, period.

Going into the weekend, New England is a 2/1 favorite to win the Super Bowl. The Patriots are getting the best odds of anybody left in the tournament, according to Vegas Insider. The Carolina Panthers come in second with an 11/5 mark, while the Arizona Cardinals are third with 7/2 odds. The Broncos round out the group at 4/1, clearly the longshot by most counts to win the whole thing.

The Broncos are at home this weekend, but are still underdogs by three points. These two teams met in Week 12 on a Sunday night back in Denver, and the Broncos were able to win that game in overtime, due in large part to a late fumble by New England, which led by 14 points in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were without Julian Edelman, Jaime Collins, Dont’a Hightower and Danny Amendola that night, four key players who are all expected to give it a go come Sunday afternoon.

Should the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, it would be the seventh time while Belichick and Brady are at the controls. For Brady, it would be an extension of his already-record six appearances in the Super Bowl, while this would be the 10th for Belichick if you factor in his three times as an assistant.

All told, the Vegas odds indicate that New England will once again be at the pinnacle of the AFC come Sunday night. There is no reason to believe anything else at this point.