by Robert Ferringo - 6/20/2012

Right now everyone thinks they are a Super Bowl contender.

Super Bowl XLVII (47) will take place on Feb. 3 at the Superdome in New Orleans. And while players and fans alike spend the summer dreaming of world domination in the fall and championship glory in the winter, the truth is that only about a half-dozen NFL teams have a shot to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this February.

Most sportsbooks have current NFL futures odds for everything from season win totals to divisional winners. But nothing draws the kind of action that trying to predict the Super Bowl champion does at the window. And if there is a number on the board to beat then it is never too early to start sizing up the field of 2013 Super Bowl contenders.

Here is a list of the top Super Bowl contenders for the 2013 NFL Championship:

New England Patriots

Opening Super Bowl Futures Odds: +450

My Odds: +500

It’s tough to argue with instilling the Patriots as the prohibitive favorite going into the season. They were one minute away from the title last season and as long as they have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick they are always a threat to add another Lombardi Trophy to their mantle. Their defense is still a major impediment to winning another Super Bowl. But New England has one of the easiest schedules in football this coming season. They should win at least 13 games and have home field advantage in the AFC. That will put them on the doorstep of another Super Bowl, and once they get there the odds are pretty decent that they will win it all.

Green Bay Packers

Open: +500

My Odds: +800

In my opinion it is really difficult to gauge Green Bay’s spot on the list of Super Bowl contenders. They are just 18 months removed from a championship and they flirted with an undefeated season in 2011. They also nearly missed the playoffs in 2010 and the Giants demolished them last year in the postseason. Green Bay’s defense is still a bit shakier than I would like and they will play 2012 in the toughest division in football. But when you have one of the best quarterback-coach teams in the NFL you always have a shot at a ring.

Philadelphia Eagles

Open: +800

My Odds: +1500

I feel like we’ve seen the whole, “Philadelphia is a Super Bowl favorite” storyline before. And if I recall, it doesn’t usually work out for the Eagles. I don’t think that Mike Vick is ever going to win a Super Bowl because I don’t think he’s anywhere close to good enough. And even though Philly has made some upgrades on defense they still don’t have a stop unit that is capable of playing at a championship level. These guys didn’t even make the playoffs last year. Now we’re supposed to expect them to make a leap to world champions? I don’t think so. This one is still a sucker bet.

Houston Texans

Open: +1000

My Odds: +2000

Whoa. These odds strike me as way over-the-top and as a huge overreaction to one good season. The Texans had never even made the playoffs prior to last year and they only managed that feat because they played in the worst division in football. Houston suffered some critical losses in free agency and I still don’t know how much faith I have in the Schaub-Kubiak brain trust. Houston does have a cupcake schedule. But Peyton Manning is back in the AFC and right now I wouldn’t put Houston as any better than the fourth- or fifth-best team in the AFC, much less in the entire NFL.

Baltimore Ravens

Open: +1500

My Odds: +1800

If training camp opened today the Ravens would be without Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and probably Ray Rice. Suggs is injured and will be out until at least November. Reed may retire. Rice is likely to hold out. And the Ravens still have to deal with the emotional baggage of coming close but blowing it in Foxboro in the AFC Title Game. John Harbaugh has a lot of tools to work with. But he has proven that he leads an undisciplined bunch that seems to always make the key mistake late in games to beat themselves. They have the talent to win a title (if everyone comes back) but I don’t know that they have the discipline.

New Orleans Saints

Open: +1500

My Odds: +1800

I think that the opening odds are more than a little generous for the Saints to win the title. They will be without Sean Payton for the entire year and that is a massive blow to this organization. And to this point the negative karma of Drew Brees’ contract situation still casts a pall. Yes, New Orleans still has its core in place. But they haven’t won a playoff game in either of the past two seasons and they have just one postseason win outside of the Superdome in their franchise history. The window for this group hasn’t closed. But I don’t see them adding to their trophy case this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Open: +1500

My Odds: +1000

These odds seem a bit high to me considering Pittsburgh’s list of recent successes. They have made the playoffs in eight of 11 seasons and they have won 12 games in three of the last four years. Pittsburgh still has a world-class defense and they have been able to upgrade their shaky offensive line. New offensive coordinator Todd Haley is a big X-Factor. And if the Steelers take to his new system it could give the franchise a boost. I think these odds offer a nice value for the most decorated franchise in the sport.

Complete List of Super Bowl Contenders and Super Bowl Futures Odds (Courtesy of Vegas Insider):

New England Patriots 9/2

Green Bay Packers 5/1

Philadelphia Eagles 8/1

San Francisco 49ers 8/1

Houston Texans 10/1

Baltimore Ravens 15/1

New Orleans Saints 15/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 15/1

Denver Broncos 18/1

New York Giants 18/1

Chicago Bears 18/1

Atlanta Falcons 20/1

Dallas Cowboys 20/1

Detroit Lions 20/1

New York Jets 30/1

San Diego Chargers 30/1

Cincinnati Bengals 40/1

Buffalo Bills 40/1

Kansas City Chiefs 40/1

Carolina Panthers 40/1

Miami Dolphins 50/1

Tennessee Titans 50/1

Oakland Raiders 60/1

Seattle Seahawks 60/1

Arizona Cardinals 80/1

Washington Redskins 80/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 100/1

Cleveland Browns 100/1

Minnesota Vikings 100/1

Indianapolis Colts 100/1

St Louis Rams 100/1

Tampa Bay Bucs 100/1
 

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