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Apparently, the Green Bay Packers’ loss in last year’s NFC Championship Game isn’t enough to keep bettors away from throwing money at them at the sports book this summer.
According to odds from OddsShark, the Packers have the lowest odds of any NFC team to make it to Super Bowl LII in Minnesota, coming in at +190. That means that a $100 bet would earn a $190 payout if they make it.
Of course, the Packers have appeared in the NFC Championship in two of the past three seasons, the only team that can make that claim. In addition, the Packers are one of the safest bets to make the playoffs by nearly any measure; they have been to the postseason eight years in a row dating back to 2009, a number that is just one short of the all-time NFL record for consecutive playoff appearances.
Another factor in the Packers’ favor is that the team that beat them in the postseason last year — the Atlanta Falcons — has undergone significant coaching changes, including the loss of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to a head coaching job.
What comes as a bigger surprise than the fact that the Packers are the favorite is the gap between Green Bay and the next NFC teams. The Falcons, Seahawks, and Cowboys all sit at +600 (6:1).
The other NFC North teams are, as expected, much longer shots to make it to the Super Bowl. The Vikings are actually the next-closest divisional team at 14:1 odds, perhaps drawing some bettors who would like to see a team play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The Lions — a playoff team a year ago — come off at 28:1, with the Bears (who went 3-13 last year) at 40:1. Only the Rams and 49ers have longer odds than Chicago.