Oddsmakers don't like Patriots' chances to win Super Bowl next season
BOSTON -- In 2020, the Patriots were mediocre. In 2021, they were a touch better. In 2022, it was back to mediocrity. All told, the Patriots have gone 25-26 since the departure of Tom Brady, who of course won six Super Bowls with the franchise.
Big picture: The Patriots have been mediocre for a stretch. And despite some major upgrades on the coaching staff this offseason, the oddsmakers appear to be expecting the run of mediocrity to continue.
With last year's Super Bowl officially becoming last year's Super Bowl as of Sunday night, eyes have already moved to next year's Super Bowl. And when it comes to betting favorites, it's the Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers who are expected to have the best chances to win Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The Patriots' odds are ... a bit different.
At Bovada, the Patriots are listed at +5500 to win the Super Bowl, tied for ninth-worst. Only the Seahawks, Bears, Titans, Falcons, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Texans and Colts have higher odds.
DraftKings has the Patriots at +6000, again the ninth-highest odds.
BetMGM has the Patriots with slightly higher odds at +5000, but they're still tied for ninth-lowest chance of winning.
And at Caesars Sportsbook, the Patriots are at +6000 to win the Super Bowl, tied for the seventh-longest odds.
Just about anywhere, the tale is unanimous. Oddsmakers have the Patriots in the bottom third of the league, alongside the Commanders, Panthers, Steelers, Saints and Seahawks, with little hope of winning a championship next season. They're a long shot to win it all.
Considering they haven't won a playoff game since 2018, that's not altogether surprising. It is merely the latest reminder of the new reality for the post-dynasty Patriots as they officially enter into another offseason.
Of course, this is sports, where strange things happen. The 2001 Patriots and coincidentally the 1999 Rams were both massive underdogs in the offseasons prior to their Super Bowl wins. More recently, the Bengals were famously a 150-to-1 offseason shot to win the 2021 Super Bowl, and they ended up coming up just a few plays short in that quest.
In that sense, the odds won't prevent the Patriots from fulfilling their destiny next year. It's just that for now, not many people out there believe that destiny will amount to much in terms of the Super Bowl.
