The New England Patriots’ dreams of recording another 16-0 season became a nightmare that could’ve been ripped straight out of an Edgar Allen Poe poem.
After being handed a crushing 37-20 defeat by the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, the Patriots appear to be mortal once more.
Ravens dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson chewed up the No.1 defense in the NFL, completing 17 of 23 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, but it was his legs that made the Patriots pay all night, adding 61 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Despite boasting an elite rush defense, ranking in the top 5 prior to Sunday Night Football, the Patriots were gashed by the Ravens run game, which finished with 210 yards and was led by running back Mark Ingram’s 15 carries for 115 yards.
Immediately following the Patriots’ first loss of the season, bringing their overall record to 8-1, it didn’t take long for the oddsmakers at NFL betting sites to adjust their chances of lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Miami next year.
However, even though the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s bunch were brought down to Earth, we’re still talking about the six-time Super Bowl champion Patriots—and the oddsmakers know better than anyone how dominate the dynasty has been for two decades.
In other words: The Patriots were the favorite last week, and the Patriots still have the best betting odds to win Super Bowl 54 this week—slightly shorter, however.
Prior to the Week 9 road loss to the Ravens, who now have a 6-2 overall record, the Patriots were listed at +220 odds, which is an implied probability of 31.25%. This week, the favorites opened at +250 odds, 28.57% chance.
There were two other notable shifts as well:
The Ravens, who were placed in the No.7 spot at +1800 odds and a 5.26% chance, got a huge boost from the oddsmakers and effectively doubled their Super Bowl chances after taking down the defending champs, coming in the No.5 spot at +900 odds and a 10% chance.
With the Patriots’ loss, there is now only one undefeated team remaining: The San Francisco 49ers who have an 8-0 overall record heading into Week 10. After holding the No.4 slot a week ago with +800 odds, 11.11% chance, the 49ers slide into the No.3 spot with +650 odds and a 13.33% chance of the Super Bowl this season.
Odds To Win Super Bowl 54
NFL Futures at Bovada Sportsbook
- New England Patriots +250
- New Orleans Saints +500
- San Francisco 49ers +650
- Kansas City Chiefs +850
- Baltimore Ravens +900
- Green Bay Packers +1200
- Dallas Cowboys +1600
- Philadelphia Eagles +1600
- Seattle Seahawks +2200
- Houston Texans +2500
- Los Angeles Rams +2500
- Minnesota Vikings +2500
- Carolina Panthers +4000
- Buffalo Bills +4500
- Indianapolis Colts +4500
- Pittsburgh Steelers +6000
- Los Angeles Chargers +7000
- Oakland Raiders +9000
- Chicago Bears +12500
- Cleveland Browns +15000
- Detroit Lions +15000
- Jacksonville Jaguars +15000
- Tennessee Titans +15000
- Denver Broncos +30000
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +40000
- Arizona Cardinals +50000
- Atlanta Falcons +100000
- New York Giants +100000
- New York Jets +150000
- Cincinnati Bengals +250000
- Washington Redskins +250000
- Miami Dolphins +500000