NFL Betting: Favorites to Win Super Bowl XLVIII
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
San Francisco 49ers (6/1): Hopes are high in San Fran, with the Niners designated as the early-season favorite for the first time since their glory period. Having made it to the big game the year before, their hunger is piqued, especially after coming so close. Everything seems to be lining up well for the 49ers. QB Colin Kaepernick has some big-game seasoning now. And whatever the Niners lost in terms of personnel was addressed through free agency and the draft.
Losing S Dashon Goldson was bad, but maybe sagging Nnamdi Asomugha can find a second wind in a Niners’ uniform. The one-time shutdown corner had a few rough years in Philly, so the jury is still out. Maybe the zone “D” of Philly wasn’t up his alley and the man-to-man defense in San Francisco will allow him to find his stride again. And rookie S Eric Reid might also be ready to step in and make an impact. The 49ers also added WR Anquan Boldin and if he can come close to duplicating his postseason performance from 2012, that would be huge. New additions DT Glenn Dorsey and K Phil Dawson should also give a boost. Watch out for Frisco!
Denver Broncos (7/1): The Broncos were probably the best team entering the playoffs last season and while things didn’t pan out, there’s no reason to not expect a big playoff run this season. Denver’s running game should get a boost with the drafting of Wisconsin’s Montee Ball. Shaun Phillips and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie should help the “D” and Wes Welker adds an interesting passing option for Manning. With Decker and Thomas both over 1000 yards receiving in 2012, Welker might make Denver clearly the most diverse and powerful passing attack in the conference.
It’s not going to be easy, but Manning is in his second year at Denver and should be able to keep the good momentum rolling. They have 6 games against what appears to be a weak AFC West division. With Manning aging, Denver has a short window in which to make big things happen, giving the entire organization a sense of urgency missing from some other teams.
Seattle Seahawks (8/1): No longer a darkhorse, now everyone expects big things from Seattle. We’ll see if they can produce as well when the spotlight is glaring, as opposed to when they took the whole league by surprise in 2012. And this year, the blossoming QB Russell Wilson will have even more options, especially with the addition of WR Percy Harvin. They also boosted some areas on defense and Seattle should be right in the thick of things.
New England Patriots (9/1): Despite all the losses and what was a rough offseason, the Patriots are still getting a ton of respect. With so many observers thinking this is a year for a Pats comedown, they may actually surprise if they can continue to find success in the 2013 campaign. Brady and Belichick have managed to do a lot with a little before, so maybe they can pull it off again. It won’t be easy. A lot of guys whom fans may not have heard of before are going to need to step up and perform.
Green Bay Packers (12/1): Aaron Rodgers may just be the best quarterback in the league and they won’t be shut out of the Super Bowl picture forever. Using more of a sense of feel, the Packers seem “due” this season to do some special things, as they did a few years before. Rodgers is 46-16 in his last 4 years as a starter and it probably doesn’t sit well with him that they only managed one postseason win in the past two seasons. Look for some youngsters to step up and for Green bay to be a major factor in the NFC.
Atlanta Falcons (14/1): If a team is “due” for a big playoff run, it would seem to be the Atlanta Falcons. Despite going 36-12 in the past 3 seasons, all they have to show for it is a lone playoff win. Among their offseason moves, they acquired RB Steven Jackson and DE Osi Umenyiora, who should both help. One has to figure that they have a major fire lit underneath them after having such poor postseason results over the past several years.There is no reason to suspect they won’t have another big regular season and at least be in a good position to make some serious noise.
