After wrapping up their regular-season schedule with a pair of straight up losses, the New England Patriots have fallen from their perch atop the Super Bowl 50 odds, surpassed by the Arizona Cardinals, who have emerged as 17/4 favorites at the sportsbooks.
The Patriots have sat at the top of the Super Bowl odds for much of the NFL season, but enter the postseason trailing the Cardinals at 9/2.
New England stormed to a 10-0 SU start before injuries took their toll in the second half of the season, diminishing their performance both on the field and at the sportsbooks, where they are a dismal 2-5-1 against the spread in their past eight games.
Complicating matters for New England is a tough opponent in this weekend’s AFC Divisional Playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs visit the Patriots riding high on an 11-game SU winning streak including a ferocious performance in a 30-0 Wild Card rout of the Houston Texans.
That victory reversed the Chiefs’ recent two-game ATS losing streak, and continued their strong play without the ball, holding opponents to under 10 points per game over their last five, and lifting their Super Bowl 50 odds to an attractive 9/1.
Conversely, the 13-3 Cardinals begin their playoff drive against an inconsistent Green Bay Packers squad that closed the season with a pair of SU losses, including a 38-8 defeat in Arizona, before rebounding with a decisive 35-18 Wild Card victory over the Washington Redskins.
Arizona took a nine-game SU win streak into Week 17, but were hammered by the Seattle Seahawks, falling 36-6 as 6-point favorites to their divisional rivals.
The Seahawks enter Sunday’s NFC Divisional Playoff matchup with Carolina in a dogfight with the Panthers on the Super Bowl 50 odds.
The 15-1 Panthers have failed to consistently reward bettors in recent weeks, going 2-3 ATS in their past five, but have scored 38 or more points in five or their last six wins, while allowing just 26 total points in their past three home dates, but have seen their NFL futures odds slip slightly to 5/1.
Seattle’s defense, meanwhile, has contributed to a 5-0 run by the UNDER on the point total, allowing under 10 points per game over their past five, and closely follow the Panthers with 11/2 Super Bowl odds.
The Denver Broncos, top seeds in the AFC, join the Seahawks at 11/2 ahead of their date with the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend.
Peyton Manning will once again be running the Broncos after missing the better part of six contests with a foot injury. The Broncos produced mixed results during Manning’s absence, including dropping a 34-27 decision to the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has shown great resiliency in eking out a playoff spot after being racked with injuries early in the season.
But with the injury bug biting once again, particularly pivot Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown, whose status for Sunday’s contest remains up in the air, the Steelers have seen their Super Bowl odds tumble, joining the Packers as 12/1 underdogs.