The Arizona Cardinals closed out their regular season schedule on a low note, falling 36-6 to the Seattle Seahawks in their worst loss of the campaign. However, that defeat has not impacted their odds to win the Super Bowl at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, where they have emerged as 17/4 favorites.
The No. 2 seed Cardinals also enter their NFC Divisional Round matchup with the Green Bay Packers as 17/10 favorites to represent the NFC at Super Bowl 50, which will be held on their home turf at University of Phoenix Stadium.
The Patriots then trail Arizona on the Super Bowl betting lines, holding steady at 9/2.
The 12-4 Patriots struggled down the stretch, suffering straight-up losses in four of their last six games, dropping to the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and have recorded just two straight-up wins in their past eight outings. However, they maintain their perch as 8/5 favorites to win the AFC championship and see action on Super Sunday for the third time in the past five years.
Injuries severely hobbled the Patriots during their season-ending slide, with receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski all missing time. All three of quarterback Tom Brady‘s favorite targets, though, are expected to be in action when New England begins their title defense against the Chiefs on Saturday.
The Chiefs punched their ticket to the Divisional Round with a 30-0 rout of the Houston Texans on Sunday, posting their 11th straight victory overall, and their first playoff win since 1994 according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
But with their last win at New England coming back in 1990, Kansas City sits back at 9/1 on the Super Bowl odds, and as a 4/1 longshot to claim the AFC crown.
The 15-1 Carolina Panthers must face the red-hot Seattle Seahawks in their NFC Divisional Round matchup, tempering their Super Bowl odds, which have slipped to 5/1, just ahead of the Seahawks at 11/2.
The Panthers hold the edge on Seattle in NFC conference betting with 19/10 odds, while the Seahawks are pegged as an intriguing 7/2 bet.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 18-16 Wild Card win over Cincinnati came at a cost, with both pivot Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown suffering injuries that leave them considered questionable for their clash with Denver on Sunday.
The Steelers have slipped to 12/1 on the odds to win the Super Bowl, alongside the Packers, while the Broncos join the Seahawks at 11/2, and trail New England with 11/5 odds to claim the conference championship.