NFL Odds – Super Bowl 51 Futures

Tom Brady is still suspended! In a week of nothing news – hearing about contract stalls and Coachocinco – that’s the kind of bombshell that rouses you from a coma and reminds you that the greatest sport in the world is nearing its triumphant return.

We’re two weeks away from the beginning of training camps, which will lead to a month of complaining how bad preseason football is (while secretly enjoying the crap out of it). But before you know it, it’ll be September 8th and the hunt for a new Super Bowl champion will be on.

In case you haven’t been paying attention this offseason, let’s get you caught up. The defending champion Denver Broncos went from having a first-ballot Hall of Famer playing terribly under center to having a terrible quarterback set to play terribly under center. They’ll still bring a dominant defense to the table, but no one really thinks this is the team to beat in the NFL.

The runner-up Carolina Panthers put away their checkbook, offering first-class secondary players second-rate deals. That meant standout cornerback Josh Norman left for Washington, weakening Carolina’s D. However, the return of Kelvin Benjamin will make this offense even more fun to watch, so they’ll probably be just fine.

New England continues to occupy its two-storey villa at the top of the odds board, refusing to move even with Brady suspended for the first four games of the season. The Pats should be able to win a couple contests over the opening stretch without their handsome leader, but could his extended absence cost his team homefield advantage for the playoffs?

The rest of the good teams stayed good, but each has concerns. From Pittsburgh’s fragile “Big Three” to Seattle’s (in)offensive line, no team is truly heads above the rest.

Meanwhile, the sucky teams spent more money than a small nation in an effort to unsuck. The Giants paid Olivier Vernon ridiculous J.J. Watt-type money as part of a defensive overhaul, while Jacksonville pretty much bought a whole new roster. Few of these absurd signings will actually pay off, but we’ll increase these teams’ odds of winning for now to make their fans feel better.

One set of odds that seemingly never shifts is that of the lowly Cleveland Browns. In the midst of a two-decade rebuild, the Browns once again bring up the rear of our list of Super Bowl favorites. But now that LeBron has lifted the Cleveland curse, perhaps it’s finally time to believe in the Browns?

Really, heading into training camp, every team has hope for the upcoming season. (Sure, some operate on the hope that every great player will contract mumps and they’ll be the only squad left standing, but that’s why they’re further down the list.)

Here’s the entire list of Super Bowl odds heading into 2016 training camps. Where does your team stand?

Odds to Win Super Bowl LI

• New England Patriots: 17/2 
• Arizona Cardinals: 8/1
• Carolina Panthers: 9/1
• Pittsburgh Steelers: 9/1
• Seattle Seahawks: 9/1
• Green Bay Packers: 12/1
• Cincinnati Bengals: 14/1
• Denver Broncos: 16/1
• Kansas City Chiefs: 16/1
• Minnesota Vikings: 20/1
• Dallas Cowboys: 25/1
• Indianapolis Colts: 25/1
• Baltimore Ravens: 28/1
• Houston Texans: 28/1
• New York Giants: 33/1
• Buffalo Bills: 40/1
• New York Jets: 40/1
• Oakland Raiders: 40/1
• Washington Redskins: 40/1
• Jacksonville Jaguars: 45/1
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 45/1
• Atlanta Falcons: 50/1
• Detroit Lions: 50/1
• Los Angeles Rams: 50/1
• New Orleans Saints: 50/1
• Chicago Bears: 66/1
• Miami Dolphins: 66/1
• Philadelphia Eagles: 66/1
• San Diego Chargers: 80/1
• Tennessee Titans: 80/1
• San Francisco 49ers: 100/1
• Cleveland Browns: 150/1

(Photo Credit: Tammy Anthony Baker (Originally uploaded to Flickr)[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/])