LAS VEGAS (AP) — Thursday’s big NFL trade in which star pass rusher Micah Parsons was sent by Dallas to Green Bay has bettors believing in the Packers and even more soured on the Cowboys.
The Packers sent their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks as well as defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys to put an exclamation point on the end of Parsons' contract squabble with owner Jerry Jones.
The Packers went from 22-1 odds at BetMGM to win the Super Bowl to 13-1. Green Bay has received 25% of the bets since the trade to win the title, most of any team.
Also, the Packers went from 11-1 to 6 1/2-1 to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and +260 to +170 to capture the NFC North. Their win total went from 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 with 76% of the money on the over.
On the other end, the Cowboys’ championship odds went from 50-1 to 60-1 and their NFC title chances from 20-1 to 30-1. Their win total dropped from 7 1/2 to 6 1/2.
“They were already a long shot this year, but this certainly has not helped their odds,” said Christian Cipollini, BetMGM senior trading manager.
Wide-open race for the Super Bowl
This would be Pete Rozelle's dream season.
Rozelle, whose tenure as commissioner lasted nearly three decades as he ushered the NFL into becoming America's dominant professional sports league, dreamed of parity in place of dynasties.
Philadelphia might have blown out Kansas City 40-22 in last season's Super Bowl, but the Eagles are bunched with four other teams — including the Chiefs — as favorites to win the title.
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Philadelphia, Baltimore and Buffalo at each 7-1 to win the Super Bowl, followed by Kansas City at 8-1 and Detroit at 10-1.
Those top four teams are all led by accomplished quarterbacks — Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Josh Allen (Bills) and Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) — which isn't exactly breaking news for anyone who has paid any attention to the NFL in recent years.
CBS SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall said there is a wide-enough menu of teams to take a look at when considering betting on this season's Super Bowl champion.
“We saw some teams last year come out of nowhere like Washington,” Marshall said. “Who would've thought them last year would've gotten all the way to the conference finals? So I do see some movement.”
Will Chiefs take a step back?
It was one thing for the Chiefs to lose a Super Bowl that was effectively over by halftime, but they spent all last season living on the edge of potentially losing close games.
A potential Los Angles Chargers winning field goal that went off the upright. A mishandled snap that denied Las Vegas a possible winning field goal. Three different Chiefs kickers making walk-off field goals — a first in NFL history. Seventeen consecutive victories going back to 2023 in one-score games.
Perhaps the Eagles found weaknesses with Mahomes, newly engaged Travis Kelce and the rest of the Andy Reid-coached Chiefs.
DraftKings Sportsbook race and sports operations director Johnny Avello noted the Chiefs also reside in an AFC West in which the Chargers, Denver Broncos and Raiders put together promising offseasons.
“So all three teams have gotten better,” Avello said. “We're not sure if the Chiefs got better or just stayed flat. Now with that being said, the Chiefs being flat is still a pretty good team. They weren't the greatest team last year, and look how far they went. As long as you have that quarterback, that coach and that tight end, I think they're always going to be competitive.”
MVP race looks tight
Four quarterbacks — Jackson, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, Allen and Mahomes — are between 5-1 and 6 1/2-1 odds at BetMGM to become the MVP.
The next closest is Commanders QB Jayden Daniels at 9-1. Hurts, even after what he accomplished last season, is 18-1.
Allen won the award last season and Jackson in 2023 for the second time. Burrow has yet to receive that honor.
“The most bet-on person is Burrow, which I actually found a little surprising,” Cipollini said. “But maybe there's a little fatigue from Lamar and Josh because both were up there. Josh actually is one of our lesser bet-on players, especially of the ones that have a pretty good chance.”
Two-way Travis Hunter in 2 categories
Jacksonville's Travis Hunter, who as a wide receiver/cornerback at Colorado last season won the Heisman Trophy, is expected to play both sides of the ball in the NFL.
He is listed at Caesars Sportsbook for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year at 9-1 and at 10-1 for defense.
Joey Feazel, head of football at Caesars, said it appears the Jaguars will rely more on Hunter offensively, at least initially, which explains the slight difference in odds.
“Him winning both is certainly possible,” Feazel said.
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Mark Anderson, The Associated Press
