It recently became legal for states to pass laws allowing for legal sports betting to happen, and New Jersey was one of the first states to put it into action.
Naturally, Super Bowl odds are just one set of numbers we’re most interested in following as these sports books pop up. Connor Orr of SI.com’s The MMQB shares an image of the digital betting board at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, which features some odds that are different than what we have seen elsewhere.
Among them, the Bears are only 75-1 underdogs to win Super Bowl LIII. That’s a shift in perception after the team opened up at 100-1 in Vegas. Either way, that’s a pretty good value if you’re the type who likes to roll the dice by backing your favorite football team with a friendly (and responsible) wager.
What makes this 75-1 number even more intriguing – beyond the fact that the Cleveland Browns are also 75-1 long shots – is that there are a handful of teams who are bigger underdogs than the Bears who are projected to be better than Chicago this year. That group includes four teams on the Bears’ schedule who have 100-1 odds (Bills, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Jets, and Cardinals). Long shots with a lesser payout on the Bears’ schedule include the Giants (35-1), Lions (40-1), and Seahawks (50-1).
The Giants, Lions, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bills have each made the playoffs within the last two seasons, so it’s a bit strange to see those teams not to have more favorable Super Bowl odds. But to see the Bears moving up in the eyes in the wagering public is pretty neat. Let’s see if they can justify some of the newfound faith with a playoff push in 2018.