The NFL season wrapped up on Sunday with the New York Giants defeating the modestly favored New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. The close of the season gives us one last chance to look at some NFL power rankings, particularly as they compare with Las Vegas odds for Super Bowl XLVII as the offseason begins.
SB Nation released one last set of NFL Power Rankings and ranked the 49ers sixth, a spot behind the New Orleans Saints. For the most important aspect of the NFL season, none of this really matters since the Giants won the Super Bowl. While the Super Bowl may not always represent the "best" team of the season, it does represent the team that was best when it mattered. I don't think it' sour grapes to say the 49ers are better than the Giants, but I also know they were not better enough when it mattered and that's life. Everything else is just useless arithmetic.
The updated Super Bowl XLVII odds are out and the 49ers are sitting at 18/1 with Bovada. They are anywhere from 12/1 to 20/1 depending on the site you go to, but in most they are sitting at the bottom of the top third of wagers. I think grabbing the 49ers at 18/1 is not the worst bet in the world at this point. Only one team can win the Super Bowl, so why not the 49ers? I had a chance to get the 49ers at 60/1 in Las Vegas this past August but I stuck to my guns about never betting on the 49ers. It ended up not panning out anyway, but imagine popping down $20 on 60/1 odds? That would have been entertaining if things turned out differently.