2017 Super Bowl Odds: Steelers are the longest shot in NFL's final four
Vegas has the Patriots and Falcons as the odds-on favorites to meet in Houston
By
Will Brinson
•
3 min read
The Falcons spent Saturday afternoon leapfrogging the Cowboys in the latest Super Bowl odds with a win over the Seahawks. Thanks to the Packers beating the Cowboys, they remain in the No. 2 spot in the latest odds, which were released after the incredible finish to the divisional round.
The Patriots remain huge favorites here, and unsurprisingly so, because they've been that way for the entire season. It is odd to see where the Steelers (4.5-1) sit compared to the Patriots, though, who boast 1.25-1 odds to win it all -- basically even money.
Perhaps the Steelers wouldn't actually be favored in the Super Bowl over the Falcons? The Falcons are clearly the Vegas choice over the Packers, although not by nearly as much as the AFC side of things.
In fact, Atlanta's jump was modest compared to the leap for Green Bay, which went from 10-1 to 4-1 with the victory over Dallas.
Let's look at the odds -- courtesy of the Las Vegas Westgate Superbook -- for the remaining four teams.
1. New England Patriots
Odds: 5-4, previously 3-2
The Pats have been huge favorites throughout much of the season and certainly going into the playoffs, so it's no surprise here. They went 13-3 against the spread in the regular season and covered against the Texans. They're one of the biggest public favorites and people got in on them early while Tom Brady was suspended. Vegas probably doesn't want any more exposure on New England, not with just four teams remaining. The Pats are 5.5-point favorites over the Steelers per SportsLine and would be heavily favored over either NFC team.
2. Atlanta Falcons
Odds: 5-2, previously 3-1
Finally the Falcons are underrated no more. Maybe. They are a 5-point favorite over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, which means Vegas is onto them. And at 5-2, there isn't a ton of value in taking them anymore. The Falcons were around 10-1 going into the playoffs but a dominant performance against the Seahawks and the Cowboys getting booted flipped the script. They have one final game at the Georgia Dome in the venue's history -- a win would give them just the second shot at a Super Bowl in franchise history (they lost the first). With 13 different receivers catching touchdowns this season -- and eight different receivers catching passes against the Seahawks -- they're as versatile and explosive an offense as you'll find in the NFL.
3. Green Bay Packers
Odds: 4-1, previously 10-1
Bet against Aaron Rodgers at your own peril. The hottest quarterback in football comes into the NFC title game with pretty decent odds, because you can bet on him at 4-1, a nice number for a guy who is doing things we don't usually see other humans do. The only problem here is Jordy Nelson is hurt, Davante Adams is hurt and David Bakhtiari suffered a knee sprain. Rodgers can cover up a lot but there might be a breaking point over the course of two more games, particularly with a defense that isn't great.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds: 9-2, previously 10-1
The Steelers have the toughest road to sled of anyone, because it's uphill against the Patriots on the road in the AFC title game and then they'll get one of two explosive offenses out of the NFC. That being said, there's no better collection of offensive and defensive talent left in the field. The work Keith Butler has done with the defensive side of the ball is tremendous, and guys like Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree are coming on strong late in the season. There's a lot of first-round talent playing well on that side of the ball. Offensively they have Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, plus a loaded offensive line. They just have to be consistent Sunday and succeed in the red zone to have a chance.
