The Odds to Win Super Bowl XLVI Are Out

They’re still sweeping up the confetti off the field in Arlington following the Packers’ win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. We don’t even know if there will be a 2011 season yet, there has been no draft yet, free agents haven’t been signed to other teams, nor have there been any trades yet. But none of that hasn’t stopped Bodog.com from releasing their odds for the winner of Super Bowl XLVI next year in Indianapolis. I applaud their dedication to their craft.

So, let’s take a look shall we?

Not surprisingly, the Packers are the odds-on-favorite to win the Super Bowl, at 7-to-1. The Patriots are very close behind, and leading the AFC, at 15-to-2. The Steelers are next, at 10-to-1 odds, with the Chargers sitting fairly high at 12-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl.

Rounding out the rest of the AFC West, we have the Chiefs next at a distant 35-to-1, the Raiders at 40-to-1, and bringing up the rear, the Broncos at 60-to-1.

Looking at the numbers a few interesting things stand out to me:

• There is a distinct cluster of the 12 teams most likely to make the playoffs, according to Bodog. What’s funny about it though, is there are 3 NFC East teams in the grouping, and no NFC West team. It’s almost as if Bodog wants the NFL to tell the NFC West, "You guys are so bad, that we are awarding your division championship to an NFC East team. Better luck next year."
• On that note, the best chance an NFC West team has of winning the Super Bowl? The 49ers and Rams both at 40-to-1. They’re lumped together with 3 other very mediocre teams: the Vikings, Lions and Raiders.
• The Ravens, Colts, Saints and Jets all have the same 14-to-1 odds of winning it all. Same story with the Falcons, Cowboys and Eagles at 16-to-1. So it seems the sports media isn’t the only establishment that hasn’t given up on the Cowboys just yet ("but they’re a better team than that!")

These odds are certainly going to change as the offseason progresses, responding to personnel moves each team makes. But for now, this is how one sports book sees the league shaping up.