The defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and the team they vanquished in last year’s big game, the Carolina Panthers, will both likely be watching from home this season.
The Broncos saw their playoff chances take a major hit last week and it also sent them spiraling down the Super Bowl 51 odds. Denver’s offense failed to show up in their 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots. That bumped them down to +6600 on the Super Bowl futures, from +5000. It also knocked them out of the playoff picture, making their remaining games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders must-win contests.
The Panthers have been Super Bowl longshots for awhile now, but they haven’t been eliminated from the playoffs yet. Last week’s win over the Washington Redskins kept the Panthers’ faint playoff hopes alive, but they’ll need to win all their games the rest of the way and get some help to get there. That’s why even after last week’s win the Panthers are still +25000 underdogs on the Super Bowl 51 futures.
The aforementioned New England Patriots continue to be the oddsmakers’ Super Bowl favorite. This week they’re up to +220, but they haven’t clinched a first-round bye in the AFC yet and can’t coast to the end of the regular season.
The rest of the Top 3 is also still the same with the Dallas Cowboys at +500 and the Seattle Seahawks at +550. Both teams have clinched their divisions but will look to finish the season strong.
For the fourth straight week the Green Bay Packers are moving up the odds list. They’re up to +1200 from +1600 last week. One major difference for Green Bay is that they have moved into a playoff spot in the NFC. Green Bay has snagged the second wild card spot, but still has a chance at the division if they can defeat the Minnesota Vikings this week and the Detroit Lions in Week 17.
The Lions are headed the wrong way on the odds list after a disappointing loss to the Giants last week. They’re down to +2500 after hitting +2000 last week. A few weeks ago it looked like the Lions were going to coast to the NFC North division title. Their loss to the Giants last week and the Packers’ surge has changed that. With back-to-back games against Dallas and Green Bay coming the Lions need at least one win to solidify their spot in the postseason.
Also taking a tumble on the odds list this week are the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs had caught the oddsmakers’ eye and been moved up to +900 after winning eight of their last nine games. Then last week they were upset by the Tennessee Titans which cost them first place in the AFC West and shot them down to +1600 on the Super Bowl 51 odds.