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PrintWe’re only six weeks into the NFL season, but that doesn’t mean value can’t be found in futures odds. Sure, teams like Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco might not offer the best value, but what about the teams that are off to sub-par or unexpected starts?
Here’s a look at one team from both the AFC and NFC with odds of 25-to-1 or greater that could make a Super Bowl run.
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Dallas Cowboys (+5000): Talk about unpredictability. ‘Dallas’ and the ‘Super Bowl’ are lumped together almost every season and the end result is always disappointment. But at 50-to-1 odds, are the Cowboys not worth a flier?
The NFC East is consistently one of the most competitive divisions and is again this year. However, Philadelphia’s turnover issues and Washington’s lack of defense should open the door for the Cowboys to compete with the Giants for the division title.
Dallas’ defense has been good (No. 1 against the pass) but not great, and is more than capable of keeping them in games and putting them in position to win. Tony Romo will need additional help from his receivers and a running game that has shown flashes but little consistency.
The next month is brutal. The Cowboys will play four of their next fives games against potential playoff teams (Ravens, Giants, Falcons, Eagles), with a game against the Panthers mixed in between. But if Dallas can survive that stretch, the late-season schedule (five home games) is favorable and they could enter the playoffs on a bit of a hot streak.
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Denver Broncos (+3000): Don’t let Denver’s 2-3 start fool you. The Broncos have played the league’s toughest schedule through five weeks, and they’ll play the Chargers this week on Monday Night Football. So far, their three losses have come against teams with a combined 13-2 record, and two were on the road—at Atlanta and New England.
The schedule will ease up considerably after Monday’s game, and following a bye week, they’ll play games against the Saints, Bengals and Panthers. (Also, they still play the Browns, Bucs and a pair of games against the Chiefs.)
With Peyton Manning leading the league’s fifth-best passing attack and a defense that ranks 11th against the pass after facing the Steelers, Falcons, Texans and Patriots, Denver has shown that it is more than capable of making a run at the Super Bowl.
The Broncos could be a steal at 30-to-1.
