After the first week of NFL free agency, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs continue to be the favorite to win the 2021 Super Bowl at 11/2 odds, according to an update from William Hill. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumped to 16/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, once they persuaded Tom Brady to leave the evil empire in New England and sign a two-year, $50 million deal.
The Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and the Chiefs were triple co-favorites when the initial lines were released within hours of Super Bowl LIV ending. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas initially listed the Ravens, Niners, and Chiefs all at 7/1 odds.
In the last six weeks, the Chiefs saw their Super Bowl odds bump to 11/2. Meanwhile, the Ravens and Lamar Jackson remained steady at 7/1 odds.
The Niners slipped to 9/1 odds due to money flowing toward the Chiefs to repeat, and their loss of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
2021 SUPER BOWL ODDS
Kansas City Chiefs 11/2
Baltimore Ravens 7/1
San Francisco 49ers 9/1
New Orleans Saints 12/1
Tampa Bay Bucs 16/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New England Patriots 20/1
Dallas Cowboys 20/1
Seattle Seahawks 20/1
Green Bay Packers 20/1
Of course, no one can really gauge how the coronavirus shutdown will impact teams leading up to the NFL draft, and to what extent the time off will negatively affect players’ physical conditioning and mental health. In that sense, all teams are on an equal footing during the pandemic shutdown.
The Big 3 and Fading History
Repeat champions are rare in the modern NFL era. The last time a team won back-to-back Super Bowl titles occurred when the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX.
The days of double championships are a thing of the past. It happened a couple of times in the 1990s with the Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII) and the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII).
The Chiefs will have to fade history if they expect to overcome the proverbial Super Bowl hangover. Right now, you can bet the Chiefs at 11/2 odds.
After a sensational rookie debut and an MVP year in his second season, the Ravens hope the 2020 season will be the year that quarterback Lamar Jackson fully comes into his own. It’s crazy to think that Jackson recently turned 23 and he still has room to improve.
The San Francisco 49ers overachieved last season, but can they replicate last year’s magic with another Super Bowl berth? So far, the Niners had to overcome Tom Brady rumors and the departure of Sanders in free agency. Sanders was a vocal veteran who took younger players like Deebo Samuel under his wing.
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan recently added Travis Benjamin to the receiving corps, but the Niners will also be interested in wideouts in the upcoming NFL draft. Benjamin can also double as a punt returner.
Final Shot for Brees or Rodgers?
Drew Brees, 41, isn’t getting any younger. He decided to return to the New Orleans Saints for at least one more season because he still has unsettled business. Brees would like to add one more Super Bowl to his resume before he finally hangs it up.
Saints head coach Sean Payton recently recovered from the coronavirus and knows that this might be his last shot at winning a second title with Brees. The Saints added veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders, who gives the team yet another offensive boost. Sanders is a dangerous slot receiver and the perfect complement to play alongside superstar, Michael Thomas.
Aaron Rodgers, 36, is still several years away from retirement, however, he’s definitely on the back nine of his career. The Packers thrived under new head coach Matt LaFleur last season and, so long as LaFleur and Rodgers are on the same page, the Packers are a dangerous team.
The Packers are always a popular team when it comes to Super Bowl futures due to their expansive legion of fans spread out across the country. Cheeseheads can now grab the Packers at 20/1 odds to win the 2021 Super Bowl.
TB in TB Surge
While Tom Brady’s agent is busy trying to secure a copyright on “TB x TB,” the entire left coast of Florida is buzzing about the arrival of the GOAT.
Brady will turn 43 in August and will be interesting to see him play for a coach other than Bill Belichick. Bruce Arians and Brady should be a fun match together with Arians’ vertical philosophy combined with one of the strongest sets of wide receivers in the league (Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin). The Bucs also have former Bama tight end, OJ Howard, who caught 11 touchdown passes and 60 receptions in his first 25 games in the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Bucs jumped to 16/1 odds to win the Super Bowl as soon as the news broke about Brady’s signing. However, this feels eerily similar to two seasons ago when the Los Angeles Lakers signed LeBron James and everyone in SoCal bet on the Lakers to win the 2019 NBA championship. LeBron hadn’t even suited up for a game before millions of dollars were wagered on King James tipping the scales. Of course, it took a second season before the Lakers were legit title contenders. It’s two different sports, but the Super Bowl odds bump for the Tampa Bay Bucs might be a little premature.
Aging Empires
The Seattle Seahawks keep chugging along. So long as they have Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, anything is possible. The Seahawks are 20/1 odds to win the title. The Seahawks are lumped together with a couple of other franchises that might finally see their empires fade away from relevancy.
Seattle had a legit shot last season until all of their running backs went down late in the season. Carroll had to call to former player Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement and enact “Beastmode” for a playoff run. That will probably be the last hurrah for Lynch, who was recently spotted appearing in the first episode of Season 3 of HBO’s “Westworld.”
Even though Brady is gone, the Patriots still have Belichick at the helm. If the Pats can find a quarterback other than Brian Hoyer, they could be a threat. The Patriots are currently 20/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, even with Brady moving to Tampa Bay.
No mas Gronk. No more Brady. Even old reliable Stephen Gostkowksi is gone. Still, so long as Belichick is alive, the Pats will always have a shot.
The Dallas Cowboys remind me of a Las Vegas casino that was once the swankiest and most opulent property on the Strip, but which has now fallen on harder times. Jerry Jones finally sent Jason Garrett packing, but turned around and hired ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Even with the coaching change, the Cowboys are only 20/1 odds to win the 2021 Super Bowl.