Everything in the NFL revolves around the New England Patriots. There’s no shortage of drama in Foxborough this year, as the league’s apex predator threatens to fall apart at the seams; QB Tom Brady just turned 41, and head coach Bill Belichick is still being questioned for his personnel choices at Super Bowl LII, where New England lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles as 4.5-point favorites. Be that as it may, the Patriots are +650 favorites on the 2019 Super Bowl odds board at press time.
For whatever reason, there hasn’t been much talk about the Patriots lately – the focus has been on other storylines, like the big contract extension WR Odell Beckham Jr. just signed with the New York Giants (+4000), and whether the Pittsburgh Steelers (+1000) will likewise open the vault for WR Antonio Brown. Meanwhile, bettors seem more interested in the Cleveland Browns of all teams. After going 0-16 (4-12 ATS) last year, the Browns have +7500 odds to win the Super Bowl, and there will be a lot of happy campers if Cleveland can pull off the most dramatic worst-to-first run in NFL history.
Philly’s Super Bowl 53 Odds Depend on Wentz
Then there’s the quarterback situation in Philadelphia. Nick Foles earned Super Bowl MVP honors after filling in admirably for Carson Wentz, but the Eagles (+950) and their supporters hope Wentz is ready for Week 1 after undergoing ACL surgery last December. Head coach Doug Pedersen says he’ll probably make a decision this Friday; Philly opens the 2018 regular season at home on Thursday, September 6 against the Atlanta Falcons (+1600), kicking off at 8:20 PM ET on NBC.
The Wentz/Foles situation has bettors worried enough to make the Los Angeles Rams (+850) the No. 2 Super Bowl betting odds favorites behind New England. The Rams took a leap of faith when they hired rookie head coach Sean McVay at the tender age of 30, and sure enough, they improved by seven wins to take the NFC West at 11-5 SU and 9-7 ATS. QB Jared Goff was remarkably better in his sophomore season, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl, and McVay was named AP Coach of the Year. Hopes are high in LA after the team paid big bucks to improve on both sides of the ball for the 2018 campaign.
Otherwise, the usual suspects are lining up for a place at Super Bowl LIII, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta next February. Alongside the aforementioned teams, you have the Green Bay Packers at +1100, and the New Orleans Saints at +1600; you can also get the Minnesota Vikings at +950, after they inked QB Kirk Cousins to the biggest per annum contract the league has ever seen. But any way you slice it, everyone’s still playing catch-up with the Patriots on the NFL odds list.
*Odds as of August 30, 2018