With the opening of the 2015 NFL regular season just hours away the Green Bay Packers continue to hang tough as 6/1 Super Bowl favorites in NFL futures betting at the sportsbooks.
The Packers maintain their perch atop the Super Bowl odds despite a mediocre 2-2 exhibition record and the loss of Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson, a favorite target of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, to a season-ending knee injury in a preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Seattle Seahawks remain close on the Packers’ heels, entering NFL Week 1 pegged at a strong 13/2 on the Super Bowl 50 odds.
With a regular season win total set at 11 in NFL online props betting and strong -300 odds to claim their third straight NFC West crown, the Seahawks look to have a clear path to the postseason, and join the Packers as strong 13/4 co-favorites to win their third consecutive NFC conference championship.
The Indianapolis Colts, with MVP candidate Andrew Luck at the helm, closely trail the favorites at 17/2, joined by the Philadelphia Eagles, who have seen their Super Bowl 50 odds soar in recent weeks.
The Colts have won 11 games in each of the last three seasons, and have dominated the AFC South with eight division titles in the last 11 seasons.
More of the same is expected this season from the Colts, who open the season as heavy -400 favorites to repeat as division champs, and 3/1 favorites to win the NFC conference championship in NFL futures betting.
The Eagles are coming off a disappointing 2014 season in which they posted SU losses in three of their last four contests to finish 10-6 and outside the playoff picture.
Gone is quarterback Nick Foles, replaced by Sam Bradford, while running back DeMarcus Murray joined as a free agent in the offseason, replacing LeSean McCoy, who was shipped to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso.
While it remains to be seen how well the new-look Eagles will fare once the regular season is underway, their preseason performance inspired fans, going 3-1 SU and boosting their position on the Super Bowl odds from a distant 20/1 at the beginning of August.
The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots round out the front of the pack with 9/1 odds, holding steady amid the news that quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension has been lifted.
The Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos lead the middle of the pack, deadlocked at 14/1, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, each at 20/1, and the Miami Dolphins at 25/1.
The Minnesota Vikings are on the rise at 28/1, trailed at 33/1 by the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions, while the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and San Diego Chargers all sport 40/1 odds.
Five teams are listed at 50/1, including the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams at 66/1, and the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders at 75/1.
The New York Jets join the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 100/1, ahead of the Washington Redskins at 125/1, while the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans pull up the rear as 200/1 longshots.