Super Bowl Odds: Week 1 Games affect NFL Future Odds

The odds to win the Super Bowl each year are posted early each year, surfacing during the summer months. These pre-season odds are based on how the team fared in the previous season, coaching changes, personnel moves that teams make during the offseason, and strength of schedule. However, once the season starts, these odds evolve


The odds to win the Super Bowl each year are posted early each year, surfacing during the summer months. These pre-season odds are based on how the team fared in the previous season, coaching changes, personnel moves that teams make during the offseason, and strength of schedule. However, once the season starts, these odds evolve and after Week 1 in the NFL there are already several surprising and big moves in the odds to win Super Bowl 47.

Everybody is talking about Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Las Vegas dropped the odds on the Birds to win the Super Bowl dramatically and online sportsbooks quickly followed suit after their win in Washington on Monday night. Bovada moved  the Eagles odds of winning the Super Bowl from 50-1 to 28-1 after the win, while the LVH Super Book in Las Vegas went even further to 25-1. However, several other books like Diamond Sports have been less aggressive and still have the Eagles listed at 36-1.  It’s hard to blame the books for this move and it looks like a valid change after watching that offense. If the Eagles beat the Chargers at home AND cover the current 7.5 point spread look for this number to continue to push downward.

Bovada Sportsbook Manager Kevin Bradley agrees telling us that “No team has seen a bigger drop in odds than the Philadelphia Eagles going from 50-1 to 28-1 and if they win as 7.5 point favorites at home to the Chargers this Week, I see us moving those odds to under 20-1 and making them legit Super Bowl contenders.”

The same thing happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers, just in the opposite direction. The Steelers opened the year at 28-1 at Bovada and now sit at 50-1 pretty much everywhere. The lackluster play, coupled with the loss of their Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. Still, this is a team that many ‘experts’ projected to  be in the playoffs.  Here Bovada’s Bradley disagrees, “The Steelers, who I was not big on going into the season proved me right last week and after one week are already 50-1 and taking no money.”

Other notable moves after Week 1 include the Redskins, who after a very poor first half from RGIII went from 33-1 to 40-1. The Vikings and Buccaneers dropped also dramatically after week 1 losses. Other top teams and perennial contenders including last year’s Super Bowl Champions dropped slightly in the odds. The Atlanta Falcons who opened at Bovada at 12-1 and now sit at 20-1 cannot be ignored, nor should the Saints or Packers who flip flopped on the odds board after their opening game wins.

The longest pre-season Super Bowl odds to cash in recent memory were on the New York Giants in 2007, who opened at 30-1. Whatever happens, however, it goes without saying that there is a lot of value to be had if you can accurately predict the Super Bowl winner so early in the season. Even the smallest win in the last seven years would have netted you $130 on a ten dollar bet made during the first two weeks of the season. Just beware big moves based on one win . . . so early in the season.

Current Super Bowl Odds from Bovada list Denver as the favorite at 5-1, San Francisco at 6-1, Seattle at 8-1 and New England at 9-1. For the complete odds click here.

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