:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46281282/usa-today-8388820.0.jpg)
Oddsmakers have a funny job. Based on rosters and the current state of a team, they predict the future. Their predictions have enormous consequences, both for future betters and the house. It's not an exact science, but you'd better bet it's a calculated, deliberate process.
Online betting website Bovada released their post-draft NFL odds today. The Atlanta Falcons are 40/1 to win the Super Bowl, 22/1 to win the NFC, and 2/1 to win the NFC South.
The Carolina Panthers are also 2/1 to win the NFC. The Falcons and the Panthers are the favorites to win the NFC South, with the Saints lagging slightly behind at 9/4. The lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers round out the NFC South at 15/2. Bovada favors the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, giving them 11/2 odds.
I'm not a betting man. I've been to only a handful of casinos; if I break even, I'm happy. But again, Bovada has fancy professionals tasked with carefully setting these odds. They aren't shooting from the hip. If they're fairly confident the Falcons can win the NFC South, maybe we should be too.
Your thoughts?