Entering the first week of the NFL regular season, several teams, including the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers , had better odds to win the Super Bowl than the Philadelphia Eagles. A clear indication no thinks the Eagles can repeat.
The Eagles were listed at 14-1 to win the Super Bowl on Thursday at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
The New England Patriots, at 6-1, are the consensus favorite for a third straight season, with significantly better odds than the Eagles, who beat them in last season’s Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams are each 10-1, followed by the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chargers and Texans at 12-1.
Notable Super Bowl bets @WilliamHillUS:
• $12,000 on ATL 22-1. Net win: $264K
• $10,000 on OAK 20-1. Net win: $200K
• $5,000 on Lions 40-1. Net win: $200K
• $4,000 on Titans 50-1. Net win: $200K
• $1,000 on Jets 100-1. Net win: $100K
• $1,000 on Browns 100-1. Net win: $100K— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 6, 2018
At 14-1, the Eagles have the worst preseason odds for a defending Super Bowl champion since the Baltimore Ravens kicked off their title defense in 2013 at 30-1.
Ed Malinowski, sportsbook director for Stratosphere in Las Vegas, described the betting interest on the Eagles at his shop as “middle of the road.”
“No one knows when [Carson] Wentz is going to be back,” Salmons said, “and it became pretty clear to everyone in the preseason, when he didn’t play at all, that he wasn’t going to play Week 1.”
While there is a lack of interest on the defending champions, bettors are flocking to the Rams. More bets had been placed on the Rams to win the Super Bowl than any other team at the Westgate, and more money has been bet on coach Sean McVay’s team than any other team at William Hill books.
At least the Eagles are small favorites tonight. This has more to do with Nick Foles than anything. A healthy Carson Wentz and they would be right back as one of the favorites.
Eagles small home favorites on NFL odds for Thursday season opener https://t.co/VBrEO9I1E8
— Chris R. Campbell (@mrchrisrcampbel) September 6, 2018