The New England Patriots are heavy favorites to reach the Super Bowl, according to oddsmaker Bovada. The Patriots have increased their odds from 1/1 to 5/8, which means that you would have to bet $8 to win $5.
The Steelers (7/2), Chiefs (5/1), Raiders (14/1), Texans (25/1), and Dolphins (25/1) make up the rest of the AFC. The Raiders odds tumbled from 13/2 after QB Derek Carr suffered a serious leg injury.
The Patriots remain heavy Super Bowl favorites with 2/1 odds, which implies a 33.3% chance of winning it all. The Cowboys (13/4) and Steelers (8/1) are the other favorites, although I’m sure the top three rankings relate to their sizable fanbases. The Falcons, Packers, Chiefs, and Seahawks are all tied with 11/1 odds.
QB Tom Brady has plummeted in the MVP race after he rested in the 3rd quarter against the Jets. Brady ranks 4th with 5/1 odds. He really needed to accumulate major volume statistics in the final weeks, but the Patriots dominance has allowed Brady to rest- and kind of supports the idea that even if Brady is the best player in the league, some others might be more valuable than Brady.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott (2/1) and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (10/1) both rank in the top 5, which goes against what I wrote in the previous paragraph about value to one’s roster. Falcons QB Matt Ryan (9/4) and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (15/4) rank 2nd and 3rd, and Ryan should honestly be in the lead.
And Bovada finally has NFL Coach of the Year odds and, as many Patriots fans would suspect, Bill Belichick is not in first. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett (1/2) leads and has a 66.7% chance of winning. Falcons coach Dan Quinn (4/1) ranks second.
Belichick, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid are tied for third with 15/2 odds, which seems like a gross oversight. Dolphins coach Adam Gase has 12/1 odds.
Garrett deserves his top rankings after presiding over the transition from Tony Romo to Prescott, while leading his team to the best record in the NFC- But Belichick should be a strong second place after coaching the Patriots to a 3-1 record with a second- and third-string quarterback over the start of the season, continuing the offensive momentum after losing the best offensive skill player in the NFL to injury (TE Rob Gronkowski), and leading the defense to top ranking after the midseason trade of an All Pro linebacker (Jamie Collins).