5 Teams Oddsmakers Like to Win SB
With Week 7 of the NFL season officially in the books, here are the five top teams that oddsmakers favor to win the Super Bowl.
1. New England Patriots
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Patriots have the best odds to win Super Bowl LII at 7/2. New England is coming off an impressive beat-down of the Falcons in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl and may have fixed at least a part of its defense. Matt Ryan missed a handful of open receivers in the game but the bottom line is that the Pats have been outstanding defensively inside the red zone. Opponents have made 11 trips into the red zone against the Patriots over the past three weeks and have come away with a total of 31 points, which averages to just 2.8 points per possession. They’ve allowed four touchdowns and a field goal, but have also blocked a field goal, have seen opposing kickers miss two field goals, and have stopped opposing teams twice on downs.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Who thought the Eagles would have the best odds out of the teams in the NFC to win the Super Bowl on this date? Well, they do, at 6/1. Carson Wentz has played like an MVP candidate in his sophomore season, including in Monday night’s 34-24 win over the Redskins. He completed 17-of-25 passes for 268 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Wentz now leads the NFL with 17 passing touchdowns, two more than Tom Brady, Alex Smith and rookie Deshaun Watson. He has now thrown multiple touchdowns in multiple games in back-to-back-to-back weeks. The Eagles are starting to become a weekly favorite of public bettors.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers currently have the same odds as the Eagles to win the Super Bowl at 6/1. Pittsburgh has rediscovered its rushing attack in recent weeks, including in its victory over AFC North rival Cincinnati on Sunday. Le’Veon Bell rushed 35 times for 134 yards while catching three passes for 85 yards in that Week 7 win over the Bengals. When Bell carries the ball over 23 times in a game, the Steelers are 16-0. Their formula for success is pretty simple: Give the ball to Bell and let him set up the rest of the offense. Pittsburgh’s defense isn’t too shabby either.
4. Seattle Seahawks
They’re baaaaack. After starting the season sluggish, the Seahawks are starting to look like the team that many believed they were in pre-season. Now listed at 10/1 to win the Super Bowl, Russell Wilson has been thrust back into the MVP conversation. On Sunday, the Seahawks covered as a 3.5-point road favorite versus the Giants as Wilson had an outstanding game. He completed 27-of-39 passes for 334 yards with three touchdowns while adding 10 yards on two carries. The Hawks’ offensive line remains a problem, but Pete Carroll’s bunch can win with a combination of Wilson and a strong defense.
5. Kansas City Chiefs
Once viewed as the clear top team in football, the Chiefs have stumbled in back-to-back weeks. Listed as a 12/1 long-shot to win the Super Bowl, Kansas City needs to get its defense ironed out in upcoming weeks. Derek Carr and the struggling Raiders offense were able to mount a last-second comeback last Thursday despite starting their final drive on their own 10-yard line. Alex Smith, however, remains as hot as ever. Smith completed 25-of-36 passes for 342 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in that 31-30 loss to the Raiders.