Early Super Bowl Bets Popping Up, Sports Books Sticking with Patriots

Posted on: January 18, 2018, 06:21h. 

Last updated on: January 18, 2018, 06:22h.

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Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

Though there are two games this weekend to decide who will go to Super Bowl LII on Feb. 2 in Minneapolis, MN some online sports books have already posted odds for potential matchups.

Much like the rest of the year they are solidly leaning towards the New England Patriots.

Bovada.lv thinks the defending champions will once again claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots have been the favorite of odds makers since the beginning of the season.

They opened at 6-1 in August with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys next at 10-1. They are now a 2-1 pick with some places putting them as low as a minus-110. The Vikings are next at plus-235 and the Eagles and Jaguars follow at plus-675.

Super Bowl Match Ups

The Patriots are solid favorites to defeat either team that would win the NFC Championship according to Bovada.lv. New England would be a 3-point pick over Minnesota.

The Vikings have the seventh best defense in the league and the fourth best offense. They would have to try and shut down the second-best offense in football and arguably the game’s greatest quarterback in Tom Brady.

If Bill Belichick’s team faced Philadelphia the line would be more advantageous for them at seven points. The Eagles are without their starting quarterback Carson Wentz, who was lost to a season ending knee injury, but back up Nick Foles so far has led the team to the conference title game.

If they reach the Super Bowl their 10th ranked defense would have to shut down the Patriots offense to have any chance. A quarterback duel would not go in their favor.

If Jacksonville was able to upset the Patriots in the AFC Championship they would be a 2 ½-point selection over the Eagles and a 5 ½-point underdog against the Vikings. The Jaguars have the best defense of the four remaining teams but also have the worst offense statistically of the four.

New England, Minnesota Favored in Championship Games

There is the little matter of this Sunday’s AFC and NFC Championship games to be decided before the speculation hype of the Super Bowl can kick into high gear. The Patriots are a 9-point selection to defeat the Jaguars and the team is tough to beat is at home, especially in the playoffs.

The last time New England lost hosting a playoff game was in 2012 in the conference championship to the Baltimore Ravens. They are now 17-2 at home in the postseason since 2002.

Of course Belichick is downplaying the huge advantage odds makers are giving his team. He was complimentary of his opponent at Wednesday’s meeting with the media.

They are very aggressive,” he said. “They have run fakes. They do other things that are a little bit unorthodox to keep you off-balance in that phase of the game. It is really a solid team all the way across the board. “

Philadelphia is hosting Minnesota and for the second consecutive week is an underdog at home. The Vikings are trying to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its regular-season stadium. They are a 3-point pick to down the Eagles.