Super Bowl 52 Favorite
The New England Patriots capped their offseason celebrations with a White House visit this week, and they now look toward the 2017 NFL campaign as strong +400 favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Pegged as +400 favorites immediately following their stunning 34-28 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons as 3-point chalk at Super Bowl LI, the Patriots remained busy over the winter, strengthening their championship roster with the free-agent signing of Pro Bowl cornerback Stephen Gilmore before acquiring speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks in a trade with the New Orleans Saints.
With five Super Bowl victories since 2001, there is no shortage of NFL teams eager to knock the Patriots off their perch. A trio of squads deadlocked at +1000 represent the Patriots’ closest competition on the Super Bowl LII odds, including the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers.
With the recent retirement of veteran quarterback Tony Romo, the Cowboys are now Dak Prescott’s team. The 23-year-old earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors while leading Dallas to an NFC-best 13-3 record in 2016. The Cowboys also locked up a pair of key veterans this winter, signing veteran tight end Jason Witten to a four-year extension, and free-agent cornerback Nolan Carroll to a three-year deal.
The Packers, meanwhile, were stung by veteran lineman TJ Lang’s offseason signing with the Detroit Lions, and running back Eddie Lacy’s departure for Seattle, but got a lift on offense with the acquisition of tight end Martellus Bennett.
Falcons, Texans, Steelers Next on Futures
With the memory of their Super Bowl loss to New England still fresh, the Falcons trail the favorites on the Super Bowl LII odds, sitting alongside the Oakland Raiders at +1200, while the Houston Texans join the Pittsburgh Steelers at +1600.
The Raiders finished tied with Kansas City atop the AFC West standings with a 12-4 record in 2016 to end a 13-year playoff drought, and have reportedly been in contract talks with former Seahawks rusher Marshawn Lynch following the offseason departure of Latavius Murray.