Two of the NFL’s proudest franchises have returned to excellence. The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders continue to win football games and dominate this season’s headlines. Each team has climbed the odds ladder, and has a legitimate chance of winning it all. Other top contenders are ones we expected, like New England, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. They will all be tough to beat in the postseason.
Dallas has risen to the top with a sudden youth movement. A pair of rookies have taken the league by storm. Quarterback Dak Prescott and running-back Ezekiel Elliott are not only Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates, but are also being considered for league MVP.
The Cowboys already had a solid defense, slick wide receivers, and an effective offensive line. The addition of the stars in the backfield has made Dallas the team to beat in the NFC.
Meantime, the Raiders have an MVP candidate of their own in quarterback Derek Carr. The gunslinger has thrown for over 3,000 yards, and has a better than 4 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio. Like Dallas, Oakland has been perfect on the road. The two teams are a combined 11-0 in away games.
The season has also produced some negative storylines. The Carolina Panthers are suffering from a Super Bowl hangover, and 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is still protesting … something. Eric Dickerson isn’t happy with the way the Rams are being coached, and plenty of quarterbacks have had seasons to forget. Heck, the Browns have used six and haven’t notched a single win.
Coaches will soon be fired and players will be on the move. Below are odds on everything from who will be fired first to Super Bowl favorites.
2016-17 NFL Odds Update
Odds to win Super Bowl LI
New England Patriots: 3/1
Dallas Cowboys: 9/2
Seattle Seahawks: 8/1
Pittsburgh Steelers: 12/1
Oakland Raiders: 14/1
Kansas City Chiefs: 16/1
Atlanta Falcons: 25/1
Detroit Lions: 25/1
New York Giants: 25/1
Green Bay Packers: 30/1
Denver Broncos: 33/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 40/1
Washington Redskins: 40/1
Baltimore Ravens: 50/1
Miami Dolphins: 60/1
Minnesota Vikings: 60/1
Arizona Cardinals: 75/1
New Orleans Saints: 75/1
Tennessee Titans: 100/1
Odds to win 2016 NFL MVP
Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys): 7/2
Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders): 4/1
Tom Brady (New England Patriots): 8/1
Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions): 8/1
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): 12/1
Odds to win 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys): 1/5
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): 8/1
Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles): 12/1
Odds to win 2016 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 1/1
Joey Bosa (San Diego Chargers): 3/1
Jalen Ramsey (Jacksonville Jaguars): 8/1
Myles Jack (Jacksonville Jaguars): 10/1
Odds the NFL MVP and Offensive Rookie of the Year are the same player: 9/2
Odds the Cowboys go 15-1: 9/1
Odds the Browns go 0-16: 3/5
Odds to be on the Rams’ sideline for the 2017 season opener
Eric Dickerson: 1/4
Jeff Fisher: 4/1
Odds the following coaches are fired before the start of the 2017 season
Gus Bradley (Jacksonville Jaguars): 1/8
Jeff Fisher (Los Angeles Rams): 1/4
Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals): 1/2
Mike McCoy (San Diego Chargers): 2/3
Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers): 3/1
Todd Bowles (New York Jets): 7/2
John Fox (Chicago Bears): 6/1
Chip Kelly (San Francisco 49ers): 10/1
Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns): 12/1
Odds Eric Dickerson coaches the Rams in 2017: 40/1
Odds Jeff Fisher ever appears on Eric Dickerson’s radio show: 15/1
Odds Todd Gurley ever rushes for…
more yards than Eric Dickerson in a single season (2,105): 10/1
more yards than Eric Dickerson (13,259): 25/1
Odds on where Tony Romo will play in 2017
Denver Broncos: 5/2
New York Jets: 3/1
Chicago Bears: 10/1
Dallas Cowboys: 10/1
Minnesota Vikings: 12/1
Odds Johnny Manziel is on an NFL roster at any point in 2017: 8/1
Odds RG3 starts the Browns Week 1 game in 2017: 2/3
Odds Ryan Fitzpatrick starts the Jets Week 1 game in 2017: 4/1
Odds Colin Kaepernick starts the 49ers Week 1 game in 2017: 3/2
Odds Colin Kaepernick ever stands for the national anthem again: 1/12
Odds on Colin Kaepernick’s next protest
Refuses to sing any Christmas carols about snow: 20/1
Hunger strike on protein shakes: 25/1
Boycotts completed passes: 33/1
Doxes Roger Goodell: 100/1
By Keith Allison [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons