During the Packers’ Super Bowl run a season ago, the best word to describe their success was “improbable.”
Now, with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a chance to repeat, the word being tossed around — at least in Sin City– is “expected.”
Per the Associated Press, oddsmakers at Las Vegas casinos have tabbed Green Bay as the best bet to win Super Bowl XLVI in February.
At Cantor Gaming, the Pack are currently 9-5 favorites to take home their second-consecutive Lombardi Trophy, despite questions surrounding their defense.
“Offense seems to rule the day right now in the NFL, but I’m not sure that defense will be able to hold up long enough to win it all,” Cantor Race & Sports Director Mike Colbert said.
As a basis for comparison — and because they’re the talk of the country — Tim Tebow and the Broncos are 120-1 underdogs to win the title, and are even a longshot to advance past the Steelers in the Wild Card round.
Other notable odds include: 49ers (12-1), Giants (20-1), and Patriots, who’ve been given an 18% shot of winning it all, according to sports gambling expert RJ Bell. For the record, Bell has the Packers at 32%.
“That, to me is the story: Not how prohibitive of a favorite they are, but the fact that they’re being given less than a one in three chance,” Bell said. “The Patriots and Saints combined have a better chance than the Packers.”
After reading this, be sure to call your bookies and hedge those bets. It looks like BoDog’s early prognostication was right on the money — literally.
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