Early Betting Odds for Super Bowl XLII

On February 3rd, 2008 the 42nd Super Bowl will be held at The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be televised on the FOX network.

While that may seem like a long time away, that's not going to stop fanatical football fans (count me among them) from discussing and even wagering on the possible outcome. In fact, the odds are so good on some of the teams that it's certainly tempting to drop some cash on one of the underdogs and cross your fingers.

Our friends at Bodog Sportsbook released their 2008 Super Bowl odds a while ago, and they continue to adjust them as the bets come in. But before you decide to drop your next house payment on your home team, keep in mind that there's a $600 max on these bets. Still, with odds like 50 to 1 and 100 to 1, that can add up to a nice chunk of change if you guess correctly.

Here are the current odds:

• Arizona Cardinals 35/1
  
• Atlanta Falcons 50/1
  
• Baltimore Ravens 15/1
  
• Buffalo Bills 50/1
  
• Carolina Panthers 20/1
  
• Chicago Bears 10/1
  
• Cincinnati Bengals 15/1
  
• Cleveland Browns 100/1
  
• Dallas Cowboys 15/1
  
• Denver Broncos 15/1
  
• Detroit Lions 100/1
  
• Green Bay Packers 50/1
  
• Houston Texans 100/1
  
• Indianapolis Colts 8/1
  
• Jacksonville Jaguars 30/1
  
• Kansas City Chiefs 30/1
  
• Miami Dolphins 40/1
  
• Minnesota Vikings 70/1
  
• New England Patriots 3/1
  
• New Orleans Saints 19/1
  
• New York Giants 20/1
  
• New York Jets 30/1
  
• Oakland Raiders 80/1
  
• Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
  
• Pittsburgh Steelers 18/1
  
• San Diego Chargers 6/1
  
• San Francisco 49ers 45/1
  
• Seattle Seahawks 12/1
  
• St. Louis Rams 55/1
  
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 70/1
  
• Tennessee Titans 40/1
  
• Washington Redskins 50/1

While the Pats and Colts certainly deserve their high-ranking status on the odds, there are several teams (IMHO) which seem to be a bit overrated.

For example, look at the Bears at 10/1. They traded away their best running back, let their defensive coordinator go, and seemed very reluctant to give their head coach a raise after he took them to the freakin' Super Bowl. Personally, I feel like they'll be lucky to even make the playoffs this year.

Speaking of overrated, how the hell do the Jets come in at 30 to 1 odds?! I know they were better than expected last year, but they're still the Jets. Pennington is not nearly as good as advertised, and did I mention that they're the Jets? Broadway Joe is long gone (off somewhere looking to nail Suzy Kolber, no doubt).

As far as steals go, the Falcons might not be a bad bet at 50 to 1. Vick showed some improvement last year, they added Joe Horn to their receiving corps, and they have a top 10 pick in the draft. If their defense can play like it was supposed to last year, they could be a very strong contender.

I also like the Dolphins at 40 to 1. Their defense can still get it done, and they should have Daunte Culpepper back fully healthy this year. If not, they're likely to go with a free agent like David Carr (or they might trade for Trent Green). Ronnie Brown will b entering his third year, and Ricky Williams will be returning to lend his talents to their running back corps. They were a major letdown last year, but NFL teams often have a knack for hitting rock bottom and then bouncing right back to the top (unless you're the Raiders or the Browns, and then you stay right there at the bottom).

So what have you got to lose by throwing down 50 bucks or so on your favorite team? At 50 to 1 odds, that would come out to $2500 if you picked correctly. And if you're a fan of the Texans or Browns (both at 100 to 1), then you could really clean up. Then again, if you're a fan of one of those teams, you may have stopped watching television completely.

Early Betting Odds for Super Bowl XLII