Will the NFC champion bounce back in 2016 to win Super Bowl 50? Oddsmakers at the sportsbooks seem to think so, with the top two favorites to win the next NFL championship coming from the conference, the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Seattle edged Green Bay 28-22 in overtime in an epic NFC Championship Game last January before losing to the New England Patriots 28-24 in an even more memorable Super Bowl.
The Seahawks are 11/2 to win their second NFL title in three years while the Packers are the 7/1 second choice. The defending Super Bowl champion Patriots were 6/1 back on February 15 but have since dropped behind Green Bay at 15/2 following the loss of several players who helped them win their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
New England’s secondary was the difference against Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX, and both starting cornerbacks will be playing elsewhere this season. All-Pro Darrelle Revis decided to leave the winning ways of the Patriots for the greener pastures of the New York Jets, his former team that traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he moved on to New England.
In addition, Brandon Browner left for the New Orleans Saints, while nose tackle Vince Wilfork also inked a deal with the Houston Texans, and running back Shane Vereen signed with the New York Giants via free agency.
Unlike the Patriots, the Seahawks and Packers both have worked hard to keep their rosters intact for the most part in hopes of making another run at the Super Bowl. Seattle even added one of the NFL’s top offensive weapons in All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, who was acquired from the New Orleans Saints in a trade on the first day of free agency.
Green Bay’s best move was re-signing wide receiver Randall Cobb, although the team did lose some other free agents from their secondary.
The Indianapolis Colts (8/1) and Dallas Cowboys (10/1) have both seen their Super Bowl odds improve since February 15. The Colts added some key veterans through free agency in WR Andre Johnson (formerly of the Houston Texans), RB Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) and defensive end Trent Cole (Philadelphia Eagles).
Indy was 14/1 before making those moves and lost to New England in last year’s controversial AFC Championship Game that launched the Deflategate scandal.
The Cowboys have also curiously seen their odds move up slightly from 12/1 on February 15 even though they still have a major hole to fill in their offensive backfield behind quarterback Tony Romo. They lost DeMarco Murray to the Eagles as a free agent after he led the NFL in rushing, and the team did not address that positional need in the NFL Draft.
Instead, Dallas focused on improving the defense even more, adding free agent DE Greg Hardy from the Carolina Panthers and drafting talented linebacker Randy Gregory from the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second round. However, both players have serious character concerns, with Hardy suspended the first 10 games of the season for conduct detrimental to the league and Gregory slipping from the first round.