Colts, Packers, Seahawks Sitting Atop NFL Conference Odds

The Indianapolis Colts are favored to meet either the Green Bay Packers or the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 50 based on future odds to win the AFC and NFC with less than one month until the 2015 NFL regular season starts.

The Colts are +325 favorites (bet $100 to win $325) to take the AFC title, something they were unable to do last year in losing to the New England Patriots 45-7 back in January.

The Patriots have been the nemesis for Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck, who has lost to them in each of the team’s two previous playoff appearances. Neither game was close, although the cloud of Deflategate still hangs over the 2015 AFC Championship Game, leading to the suspension of New England QB Tom Brady for the first four games of this season.

The Patriots are 4/1 to repeat as AFC champs but will have a lot of work to do after losing cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in addition to defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and running back Shane Vereen this past offseason.

While New England lost key players, Indy picked up some veteran free agents who could put the team over the top from a leadership perspective in wide receiver Andre Johnson from the Houston Texans and running back Frank Gore from the San Francisco 49ers.

The Colts play in the conference’s weakest division in the AFC South and could be tough to beat in the postseason if they can secure home-field advantage.

The Packers and Seahawks are both 3/1 co-favorites to win the NFC after playing each other in last year’s conference title game. Seattle pulled off a 28-22 overtime victory in the NFC Championship Game after Green Bay led 16-0 early on, and the two teams will meet again in Week 2 at Lambeau Field in a matchup that could eventually decide home field this year.

The Seahawks and Packers each finished 12-4 last season, making their meeting in Week 1 the tiebreaker, which Seattle won 36-16 at home.

The other top contenders in 2015 that did not play in the conference title games last year include the Denver Broncos (6/1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9/1) in the AFC and the Dallas Cowboys (7/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (12/1) in the NFC.

Of that group, only the Eagles failed to make the postseason in 2014 after winning the NFC East in head coach Chip Kelly’s first year. The Broncos and Cowboys both lost in the divisional round of the playoffs while the Steelers fell to the Baltimore Ravens (11/1) in the Wild Card round.

Denver lost at home to Indianapolis in the postseason but hopes to make one more run at the Super Bowl in what could be QB Peyton Manning’s final campaign. Pittsburgh was not healthy heading into the playoffs with RB Le’Veon Bell out, and he will miss the first two games of the season due to a suspension.

Dallas and Philadelphia will likely duke it out again for the division title, with RB DeMarco Murray switching from the former to the latter as a free agent after leading the NFL in rushing last year.