Doug Greenberg covers sport betting for ESPN. He previously covered sports betting, sports business and fantasy sports at Front Office Sports, VSiN and RotoWire. He lives in Chicago after growing up in Boston.
With the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away, teams are beginning to wheel and deal, affecting the Super Bowl odds board in the process. On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks acquired All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts, shortening their championship odds from 11-1 to 10-1. Then, on Thursday, the Chicago Bears acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans, allowing them to make a big jump from 14-1 to 11-1 for the title.
The San Francisco 49ers also made a move by trading for All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, but their Super Bowl odds remained stationary in the favorite position at +580, a lengthening from +540 the previous week following their first loss of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs lengthened from +750 to +900 for the championship following their first defeat of the season.
Those losses allowed other teams to make moves up the board. The Buffalo Bills, on bye in Week 7, moved from +750 to +700 for the Super Bowl, while the Los Angeles Rams, who were the clear title favorites until a couple of weeks ago, improved from 12-1 to 11-1 week-over-week.
Another significant mover in the futures markets was the Cincinnati Bengals, who secured a key road win over the Baltimore Ravens to become the favorites to win the AFC North (+110) for the first time this season. Cincinnati improved from 21-1 to 16-1 for the Super Bowl with the victory, while Baltimore lengthened from 10-1 to 13-1.
and subject to change.