We have seen the first really big shift in the NFL futures market all season long. That's right-- officially you can place a bet on only 31 teams to win this season's Super Bowl. The New York Jets have officially been eliminated from postseason contention, having been unofficially eliminated back in August.
But the Jets' absence does not mean the end of opportunities to get your money down on a contender. The odds to win the Super Bowl for the 31 remaining teams -- both our nERD-based numbers as well as the betting odds at Super Bowl odds -- shifted again.
This week we'll take a quick look at five teams who have seen their odds plummet substantially since the beginning of the year.
New England Patriots
Current FD Sportsbook Title Odds: +14000 (0.7%)
Current numberFire Title Odds: 0.1%
For possibly the first time in almost two decades, oddsmakers were not super bullish on the New England Patriots heading into the season. In the final days of August, they were available at +2100 to win it all, making them ninth favorites to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy this year. But as November begins to make way for December, the Pats' title odds have fallen to +14000. There are currently 21 teams with shorter odds, which roughly translates to where they sit in our eyes. The Patriots are the 21st ranked team in 2020, according to nERD.
San Francisco 49ers
Current FD Sportsbook Title Odds: +13000 (0.8%)
Current numberFire Title Odds: 0.1%
It's always tough for the losers in a Super Bowl to bounce back the year after. But oddsmakers thought that the San Francisco 49ers had as good a chance as any to do so. Before the first game of the 2020 campaign, no NFC team had shorter championship odds than Kyle Shanahan's charges, who sat at +900. The only two teams in the entire NFL with better odds were the AFC pair of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Eleven weeks and a laundry list of injuries later, oddsmakers have all but dismissed the 49ers' hopes of ultimate glory. They are now available at +13000.
Dallas Cowboys
Current FD Sportsbook Title Odds: +10000 (1%)
Current numberFire Title Odds: 0.1%
An electrifying array of offensive talent was supposed to propel the Dallas Cowboys into serious contention in 2020, with only five teams available at shorter odds than their +1600 back in August. It's fair to say these expectations were too high. Injuries across the offensive line and to Dak Prescott along with a woeful defense, which we have ranked 27th, have seen Dallas slip to 3-7 on the year, with their Super Bowl odds now out to +10000. In any other division in football, they'd be out of the running for the postseason. But the NFC East wants to keep everyone involved for as long as possible, it seems.
Minnesota Vikings
Current FD Sportsbook Title Odds: +10000 (1%)
Current numberFire Title Odds: 0.3%
Another NFC team that mildly intrigued oddsmakers before the season, the Minnesota Vikings were available at +2500 in the final days of August. These were the seventh shortest odds in their conference, ahead of teams like the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals. Well...that went well. A porous defense and a near-disastrous beginning to the season almost ended the Vikings' title hopes before they began. According to our title odds, Minnesota currently has a 0.3% chance to win it all this year.
Atlanta Falcons
Current FD Sportsbook Title Odds: +50000 (0.2%)
Current numberFire Title Odds: 0%
No one expected too much from the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. We have to be honest here. They were available at +5000 at the beginning of the year, odds that only four teams in the NFC had higher than at the time. But they currently sit at +50000, thanks in no small part to a whopping fall in the past week. After Week 10, the Falcons were long shots at +18000. Their loss to the New Orleans Saints this past week has seriously torpedoed any lingering hopes of competing for football's ultimate prize, though anyone with those hopes has been delusional for quite some time.