Early Odds For 2015 NFL Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLIX is just barely sinking in. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots finally secured that elusive fourth Lombardiy Trophy and it oddly took an amazing defensive play at the goal-line in the last second to make it a reality. Needless to say, we just got done witnessing one of the best NFL title games we’ve probably ever seen. Naturally, it makes us wonder what we’ll be in for come next season.

Great games like these make fans hate the off-season and want September to come in the blink of an eye. A lot can change between now and then, of course, as Super Bowl odds are sure to wrestle back and forth depending on off-season moves, key injuries and how next year starts off. For now, the top teams are in place according to Vegas and we just might see one of the team’s from this Super Bowl back in action. Heck, we might see them both.

To gauge who is most likely to get to the league’s 50th Super Bowl next year, let’s break down the top five NFL squads with the best reported odds:

5. Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts (20/1)

Tony Romo was sublime for much of 2014 and the Cowboys finally rode their running game to the playoffs. Whether or not they bring back DeMarco Murray (they supposedly won’t) or bring in a big name like Adrian Peterson (they might) could be the difference between returning to the playoffs or not. Continued growth on defense is also key, as a failure to be more than a bend-but-don’t break unit could give way to the Eagles taking back over the NFC East. Philly is still a major concern due to their ability on offense, but with questions under center (who will their quarterback be?), they might be another 1-2 seasons away from a real playoff run. Andrew Luck had the Colts in the AFC title game and the logical next step is the Super Bowl, but he’s been forced to do it all on his own. If Indy can’t get him a legit running back and keep building on their defense, the Colts will just be among this group and won’t emerge as true contenders.

4. Green Bay Packers (10/1)

Aaron Rodgers might be the most talented quarterback in the league, so it’s arguable Green Bay is a great defense away from winning another Super Bowl. That unit showed solid strides in 2014 and if not for playing it too safe in an epic collapse in the NFC title game, they could have possibly won it all this year. There are never any guarantees, but with Rodgers leading one of the league’s most potent offenses, it’s easy to see the Packers are near the top of the league. Securing home field advantage for the playoffs next year could be their ticket.

3. Denver Broncos (10/1)

Peyton Manning hasn’t made a decision on his return yet, but he’s coming back. New head coach Gary Kubiak might be a mild downgrade, but Denver arguably got better across the rest of the coaching staff and still has the pieces on both sides of the ball to make another deep run. They still aren’t as physical or as balanced as the two teams that made the Super Bowl this year, but perhaps a good draft and a solid run in free agency can help change that.

2. New England Patriots (8/1)

New England just won on the heels of an epic performance by Tom Brady, as well as a strong performance by what equates to a fairly underrated defense. That defense should get even better in 2015 and if they can keep Darrelle Revis and Vince Wilfork, there is nothing on paper to deny a new dynasty has been born within an old one. Brady is 37 and somehow doesn’t seem to be remotely close to the end and the AFC has less resistance than we all originally thought. We know the Pats will be heavy favorites to win the AFC East again and they could be locked to at least get to the AFC title game again. With some improvements, they could easily be right back in the big game for the second year in a row, just like Seattle did this year.

1. Seattle Seahawks (13/2)

Seattle is an obvious choice. They just lost the Super Bowl, have the league’s best defense and will have a nasty taste in their mouths going into next year. They also have reportedly already made a pitch to keep Marshawn Lynch. A huge key will be opening the offense back up and finding a way to inject more big plays in the passing game – and do so consistently. But as constructed, this is a title winner and the Seahawks still figure to be the most well-rounded team in the NFC, if not the entire league.

 

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