The NFL kicked off Week 3 of the 2012 NFL season last night with the New York Giants pummeling the Carolina Panthers 36-7. I really did not see that kind of butt-whupping coming, but the Giants are suddenly looking alive and feisty after stumbling out of the gate at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
Earlier this week, updated Super Bowl XLVII odds were released and our San Francisco 49ers are sitting as the favorites pretty much across the board. Bovada has the 49ers listed as 5-to-1 favorites, while the Las Vegas Hilton has the 49ers as 4-to-1 favorites. It is worth noting that odds like this are set for a combination of reasons. The 49ers are playing some great football, but the odds also can be lowered to get more money on other teams. The 49ers opened in some places as 20-to-1 to win the 2013 Super Bowl, and money has been coming in fairly heavily.
Odds vary across locations, but after the 49ers, the Houston Texans are climbing the board. At the Hilton they are right behind the 49ers at 9-to-2, and are favored by Bovada at 5-to-2 to claim the AFC Championship. My favorite line has the 49ers as 2-to-9 to win the NFC West. That means you have to bet $9 just to win $2 on the 49ers as NFC West favorites.
Football Outsiders also puts together their own playoff odds report, and due to the way their early season ratings work, the 49ers do not get quite as much love. The early efficiency ratings factor in preseason projections with current season and right now the preseason projections still represent 75% of the rating. The FO odds report lists the 49ers as having 68.3% odds of winning the division and 4.0% odds of winning the Super Bowl. As the season progresses, the 49ers Super Bowl odds will climb in the ratings, but for now, preseason projections hold it down a bit. Ah, the life of a potential statistical outlier!