Wentz’s Uncertain Recovery Status Harming Eagles’ Super Bowl 53 Odds
- For the first time since their Super Bowl 52 triumph, the Eagles are not favored to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 53
- Only one Super Bowl champion has repeated in the last 19 seasons
- It’s been 25 years since an NFC team won back-to-back Super Bowls
Uncertainty surrounding the status of quarterback Carson Wentz, who is recovering from ACL surgery, has caused oddsmakers to downgrade the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions.
As recently as the beginning of the month, oddsmakers listed the Eagles as the second betting choice to win Super Bowl 53 at +850, behind only the New England Patriots, as oddsmakers were touting a rematch of Super Bowl 52.
Today, the Eagles sit as the +950 co-third choice alongside the Minnesota Vikings to win the game, trailing both the Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl 53 future book.
Super Bowl 53 Odds
| Team | Super Bowl 53 Odds |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +650 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +850 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +950 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +950 |
It’s easy to follow these fluctuations in the betting lines with our handy Super Bowl futures tracker.
The Eagles remain the overwhelming -155 favorites to defend their NFC East title, ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (+375), but recent history suggests even that is a longshot bet. No team has repeated as NFC East champions since the Eagles won four in a row from 2001-2004.
Wentz doesn’t even know his status
Still recovering from the season-ending ACL surgery he underwent following an injury suffered in the Eagles’ 13th game of last season against the Rams, Wentz has been cleared to participate in 11-on-11 drills, but not for contact.
When might that happen? Even Wentz allowed that he has no idea, nor does he know whether he’ll be ready for Philly’s Week 1 opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Wentz or no Wentz, oddsmakers still list the Eagles as minus-three point home favorites to win that Thursday night game, evidently forgetting that in last season’s Thursday NFL regular-season opener, the defending champion Patriots were thrashed 42-27 at home by the Kansas City Chiefs.
With Wentz an unknown quantity, the persistent questions regarding his status are leading to some frayed nerves at Eagles’ training camp.
Eagles have won before without Wentz
If there’s one thing we know for sure about people, it’s that they have short memories. The oddsmakers went against the Eagles and backup quarterback Nick Foles in all three postseason games last season.
All Foles did was go 3-0 and garner Super Bowl MVP honors, so you could certainly argue that even minus Wentz, the Eagles remain in good hands.
Are the Eagles a good Super Bowl 53 bet?
The short answer is no, and it has nothing to do with when Wentz will come back. History is not kind to defending Super Bowl champions. Just once since 2000 has a reigning champ repeated, the Patriots in Super Bowls 38 and 39.
To locate an NFC repeat champion, you must go all the way back to the Cowboys in Super Bowls 27 and 28
If you’re talking NFC teams, the Seattle Seahawks appeared in Super Bowls 48 and 49, but only won their first appearance. To locate an NFC repeat champion, you must go all the way back to the Cowboys in Super Bowls 27 and 28.
As the odds grow, it will be mighty tempting to bet the Eagles, but know that history is not on your side.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
