The two teams that brought the curtain down on the 2015 NFL season in Glendale kick off the 2016 NFL season tonight in Denver. But neither the reigning Super Bowl champion nor its runner up enters the new season as the favorite to win in Houston in February.
Despite losing Tom Brady for four games, bookies make the New England Patriots the favorite to win the big game. Contrary to popular belief, the Alabama Crimson Tide did not attract better odds to win the Super Bowl than the Cleveland Browns. Denizens of the Dawg Pound bet a buck on the longest of longshots to win $200 should their team win their first Super Bowl. Arizona at 12 to 1, Denver at 17 to 1, and Cincinnati at 20 to 1 all figure to attract gamblers.
But the odds look, well, odd. The Bovada gives Green Bay a better shot than New England to win it all. The Westgate SuperBook, which opened with the Seahawks, Patriots, and Steelers all sharing top billing, now goes with New England at 6 to 1 despite Brady subsequently accepting a four-game Deflategate suspension.
One clear message stands out amid the din of contradictions shouted out by the big boards: it’s anybody’s guess. Not only does the NFL not present Las Vegas with a prohibitive favorite, it lacks even a clear favorite. The road to Houston is congested but open, if that makes sense more than the Sin City contradictions do. No team sees a clear path. There’s no ’85 Bears or ’72 Dolphins.
Here, from Footballocks.com, are the betting odds for winning the Super Bowl for all 32 NFL teams:
| New England Patriots | +$700 (7 to 1) |
| Green Bay Packers | +$800 (8 to 1) |
| Seattle Seahawks | +$800 (8 to 1) |
| Carolina Panthers | +$1,000 (10 to 1) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +$1,000 (10 to 1) |
| Arizona Cardinals | +$1,200 (12 to 1) |
| Denver Broncos | +$1,700 (17 to 1) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +$2,000 (20 to 1) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +$2,000 (20 to 1) |
| Minnesota Vikings | +$2,000 (20 to 1) |
| New York Giants | +$2,500 (25 to 1) |
| Dallas Cowboys | +$3,000 (30 to 1) |
| Oakland Raiders | +$3,000 (30 to 1) |
| Houston Texans | +$3,500 (35 to 1) |
| Indianapolis Colts | +$3,500 (35 to 1) |
| Baltimore Ravens | +$4,000 (40 to 1) |
| Washington Redskins | +$5,000 (50 to 1) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +$6,500 (65 to 1) |
| New Orleans Saints | +$6,500 (65 to 1) |
| New York Jets | +$6,500 (65 to 1) |
| Atlanta Falcons | +$7,500 (75 to 1) |
| Buffalo Bills | +$7,500 (75 to 1) |
| Miami Dolphins | +$7,500 (75 to 1) |
| San Diego Chargers | +$7,500 (75 to 1) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +$7,500 (75 to 1) |
| Chicago Bears | +$8,000 (80 to 1) |
| Los Angeles Rams | +$8,000 (80 to 1) |
| Detroit Lions | +$10,000 (100 to 1) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +$10,000 (100 to 1) |
| Tennessee Titans | +$10,000 (100 to 1) |
| San Francisco 49ers | +$15,000 (150 to 1) |
| Cleveland Browns | +$20,000 (200 to 1) |
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