Seattle Stands Alone As Super Bowl Favorite
Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are narrow Super Bowl favorites.
Following a wild-card weekend that truly lived up to its name, the Seattle Seahawks have emerged as the standalone favorite to win Super Bowl XLVIII, at least for the time being.
With odds of 11/4 to win next month’s big game, the NFC West champions entered the postseason tied with the Denver Broncos on bookmakers’ lists.
After this weekend’s action though, the Seahawks have slipped ahead of their AFC West counterparts, holding 12/5 odds of lifting the Lombardi Trophy compared to 13/5 odds for the Broncos.
The two sides have been neck-and-neck in NFL futures lists since the middle of September. If you’re to believe the bookmakers, that’s a trend that will stay with us all the way to MetLife Stadium in February.
After fending off the Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers continue to hold on to third-place in the futures list. Jim Harbaugh’s side is currently listed at 11/2 to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
With five Lombardi trophies, the Niners are the most successful team remaining in the postseason, but it will take a monumental effort to achieve success in New Jersey next month. But with seven straight wins on the ledger, this is a team that could go all the way, something the critics are starting to believe.
The New England Patriots, who have been to more Super Bowls than any team appearing in the playoffs this season, are currently fourth on the futures list, with odds of 15/2.
If we’re honest about matters, Bill Belichick and the Patriots were probably expecting the Cincinnati Bengals to roll into Foxborough this weekend but the football gods had other ideas. Instead, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will take to the field at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots dismissed the Colts 59-24 when the two met a season ago but these are two very different sides. The Pats are banged up, yet somehow find ways to win. The Colts have improved, both in terms of talent and finding ways to dig themselves out of increasingly bigger holes. This could well be the game of the weekend.
For the record, the Colts are currently 14/1 to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Carolina Panthers are currently listed at 11/1 to close out their surprising season by winning a championship. Bookmakers don’t expect Ron Rivera’s side to get past the Niners on Sunday but then again, they didn’t expect the Panthers – a team that opened the season with 66/1 odds of winning the Super Bowl – to make the playoffs.
Carolina has already beaten San Francisco this season. Can thitey do the same and upset the bookmakers on Sunday?
With a 26-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, the New Orleans Saints finally won a playoff game on the road. Still, the bookmakers don’t like the team’s chances of lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
The Saints are currently listed at 14/1 to win Super Bowl XLVIII, tied with Indianapolis and the San Diego Chargers for longest odds. The biggest reason the Saints are such a long shot is this weekend’s game in Seattle.
The Saints were silenced by the Seahawks on Monday Night Football just over a month ago, losing 34-7 in a one-sided affair. If anybody expects this weekend’s game to play out in a similar manner, they’re in for a rude awakening. In fact, the Saints are looking like the NFC’s true dark horse, at least from our vantage point.
San Diego’s surprise win over Cincinnati on Sunday sets up a third meeting of the year against AFC West rivals, Denver. This fact alone is the reason why the Chargers share the bottom of the futures list with 14/1 odds.
Still, Mike McCoy’s side nabbed a 27-20 win when the two teams met at Mile High Stadium on December 12. Can the Bolts strike twice and really throw the futures list into chaos?
Exact Super Bowl XLVIII Matchup
According to the latest odds available, Super Bowl XLVIII is favored to be a showdown between Denver and Seattle, the teams that finished with the best record in their respective divisions. That particular matchup has been assigned 9/4 odds.
A clash between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, a rematch of Super Bowl XXIV, is next up on the futures list, with odds of 11/2.
Other Super Bowl rematches are less favorable at this time. A meeting between New England and Carolina (Super Bowl XXXVIII) is currently listed at 18/1; a San Diego-San Francisco showdown (Super Bowl XXIX) sits at 25/1; and a second encounter between Indianapolis and New Orleans (Super Bowl XLIV) is a lengthy 50/1, tied for longest odds on the board.
Almost overwhelming favorites to win the AFC, the Denver Broncos feature in four of the top five anticipated matchups.
For a full list of odds for every conceivable Super Bowl matchup, see below.
BettingSports.com will keep you updated with all of the goings-on in the NFL and with Vegas sportsbooks ahead of this weekend’s next round of playoff action.
Up-to-date NFL Futures are available from our betting partners.
NFL Schedule: Divisional Playoffs
Saturday (4:35 p.m. ET) New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (matchup)
Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET) Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (matchup)
Sunday (1:05 p.m. ET) San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers (matchup)
Sunday (4:40 p.m. ET) San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos (matchup)
Odds for this weekend’s Divisional Playoffs can be found here.
For NFL team prop bets, click here.
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