Just days after Super Bowl 51 concluded in February with yet another New England Patriots title, online sportsbook Bovada posted their opening futures for Super Bowl 52.
Obviously, the Pats were favored to repeat at (+400) with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick back in the fold, but after that, the list of contenders was diverse indeed.
The Dallas Cowboys were tabbed as the most likely challenger at (+750), with the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and last year’s runner-up Atlanta Falcons (+1200) lurking close by.
Fast forward to today – with Week 13 looming and half the league still vying for a playoff spot – and those odds have been adjusted wildly across the board.
Take those Cowboys as an example.
Less than a month ago, Dallas was 5-3 and in firm control of an NFC Wild Card spot. Today, having finally lost breakout running back Ezekiel Elliott to a six-game suspension, and suffering through injuries to stars like left tackle Tyron Smith and linebacker Sean Lee, the Cowboys are riding a three-game losing streak at 5-6.
As a result, Dallas’ odds to win the Super Bowl have tumbled from (+750) all the way to (+15000).
Sticking with the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles entered the year lumped into the league’s also-rans, sporting (+5000) odds along with six other teams. In fact, only nine teams offered worse title odds ahead of the year.
But head coach Doug Pederson has harnessed the powers of second-year quarterback Carson Wentz to put up an NFL-best 31.9 points per game. As a result, the Eagles are 10-1 and a virtual lock to win the division. Philly also has the inside track to a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and at (+350), the Eagles have enjoyed by far the most positive line movement thus far.
Heading down the home stretch, Philadelphia has pulled nearly even with New England in the Super Bowl 52 futures race – so bettors who got on board the Wentz-wagon early have a huge edge.
Another big mover is the Los Angeles Rams, after a surprising 8-3 start has them atop the NFC West standings. With second-year quarterback Jared Goff looking like a number one overall draft pick for the first time, and stars like running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver Robert Woods leading the way, the Rams have the second-best scoring offense in football at 29.9 points per game.
L.A. began the year as big (+7500) underdogs to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but today those odds have improved to (+1400).
And if you’re looking for another futures ticket that’s definitely a dead duck, the Denver Broncos were (+1600) against winning it all, before a 3-8 start doomed them to (+100000) longshot status.
Only three teams have been removed from the Bovada betting board so far – the New York Giants (2-9), the San Francisco 49ers (1-10), and the Cleveland Browns (0-11).
For the Niners and the Browns, that comes as no surprise, with both among the preseason cellar-dwellers at (+10000). But in the case of Big Blue, the Giants’ stunning fall from grace has seen them drop from (+2500) all the way out of contention with a quarter of the season to spare.
For a full look into the Super Bowl 52 futures betting movement, check out the table below, which highlights odds on February 7 and today:
Team | SB Odds on 2/7 | Team | SB Odds on 11/28 |
New England Patriots | +400 | New England Patriots | +250 |
Dallas Cowboys | +750 | Philadelphia Eagles | +350 |
Green Bay Packers | +1200 | Pittsburgh Steelers | +600 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | +1200 | New Orleans Saints | +1200 |
Atlanta Falcons | +1200 | Minnesota Vikings | +1200 |
Denver Broncos | +1600 | Atlanta Falcons | +1200 |
Oakland Raiders | +1600 | L.A. Rams | +1400 |
Seattle Seahawks | +1600 | Carolina Panthers | +1800 |
Minnesota Vikings | +2000 | Seattle Seahawks | +2200 |
Carolina Panthers | +2500 | Kansas City Chiefs | +3300 |
Indianapolis Colts | +2500 | L.A. Chargers | +3300 |
Kansas City Chiefs | +2500 | Jacksonville Jaguars | +4000 |
New York Giants | +2500 | Tennessee Titans | +4000 |
Arizona Cardinals | +3300 | Detroit Lions | +6600 |
Houston Texans | +4000 | Oakland Raiders | +6600 |
Tennessee Titans | +4000 | Baltimore Ravens | +6600 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +5000 | Cincinnati Bengals | +7500 |
Baltimore Ravens | +5000 | Buffalo Bills | +10000 |
Detroit Lions | +5000 | Dallas Cowboys | +15000 |
Cincinnati Bengals | +5000 | Washington Redskins | +15000 |
Miami Dolphins | +5000 | Green Bay Packers | +20000 |
New Orleans Saints | +5000 | Arizona Cardinals | +25000 |
Philadelphia Eagles | +5000 | Houston Texans | +50000 |
Washington Redskins | +6600 | New York Jets | +100000 |
Buffalo Bills | +6600 | Miami Dolphins | +100000 |
Jacksonville Jaguars | +6600 | Chicago Bears | +100000 |
L.A. Chargers | +6600 | Indianapolis Colts | +100000 |
L.A. Rams | +7500 | Denver Broncos | +100000 |
New York Jets | +10000 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +100000 |
Chicago Bears | +10000 | San Francisco 49ers | Off Board |
Cleveland Browns | +10000 | New York Giants | Off Board |
San Francisco 49ers | +10000 | Cleveland Browns | Off Board |