Super Bowl odds on Super Bowl XLII have a double digit favorite with New England a 12 point choice over the New York Giants. This is not the first time in Superbowl history that a team has been a prohibitive favorite in Super Bowl. There have actually been 13 previous double digit favorites in Super Bowl odds.
Super Bowl show a team as a prohibitive favorite for a reason. In this year’s Superbowl the New England Patriots are unbeaten and have the best offense in NFL history. They are a 12 point Super Bowl favorite for a good reason. History is also on the side of New England when it comes to Super Bowl odds. In the previous 13 instances of a team being favored in Super Bowl odds by more than 10 points they are 9-4 straight up and 7-5-1 against the spread. Yes, those numbers do show four major upsets, but blindly taking the underdogs in Super Bowl odds would have lost you money. Some of the early money is on the Giants because the Patriots have not been impressive lately. The Patriots actually looked beatable during the last month of the season. They also failed to cover both of their playoff wins against Jacksonville and San Diego.
What some bettors might forget is that the Patriots dominated the NFL during the first half of the season and then everyone thought they were unbeatable. The second half of the season saw huge pointspreads and New England failed to cover most of them. This has led bettors to question whether or not New England is really that good. Do you see what has happened? When the public started betting New England thinking they were a machine they didn’t cover the spread. Now that the public is all over the Giants in Super Bowl odds will the reverse happen and New England blow New York out of the water in the Superbowl?
There is one note of history that has Patriots fans worried. The last Superbowl team to come into the big game as double digit underdogs in Super Bowl odds was the New England Patriots. In Super Bowl XXXVI they were 14 point underdogs to St. Louis and beat the high powered Rams. That was the only time the Patriots actually covered the Super Bowl odds in their four appearances.