Super Bowl 50 Odds Updated as NFL Free Agency Opens

The two teams that just played in Super Bowl XLIX have seen a couple dramatic moves already take place in the first few days of NFL free agency, altering their makeup as they attempt to appear in the big game again next year.

The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots lost perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis as a free agent to the team he started his career with and a bitter AFC East rival – the New York Jets – while the Seattle Seahawks finally got the big receiving target quarterback Russell Wilson has desperately needed in trading for tight end Jimmy Graham.

Maybe bigger news though is neither the Seahawks nor the Patriots have moved much on the Super Bowl 50 betting board following the moves. Seattle improved slightly to 5/1 to win the 2016 Super Bowl from 11/2 while New England has stayed the same at 6/1.

However, that is not to say there has not been some serious movement with other teams hoping to contend with the Seahawks in the NFC and the Patriots in the AFC.

The Indianapolis Colts came within a win of making it to the Super Bowl in January but were blown out 45-7 by New England in the AFC Championship Game.

The Colts have taken a step forward in the postseason each year with franchise QB Andrew Luck under center and made a strong effort to provide him with a couple more weapons offensively, signing a pair of key free agents in running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

Indy jumped from 14/1 to 9/1 after those moves and appears to be going all out to maximize its financial flexibility in the final year of Luck’s rookie contract.

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers also maintained their 7/1 odds to win the Super Bowl by re-signing their own top free agents in WR Randall Cobb and right tackle Bryan Bulaga, keeping their offensive core intact after falling just short of topping Seattle in last year’s NFC Championship Game.

Green Bay figures to dominate the NFC North yet again in 2015, putting the team in position for another run at the Super Bowl.

The Packers and Seahawks might have some serious competition from the most active team during the new league year in the Philadelphia Eagles, who have seen head coach Chip Kelly shake up his offense with some major personnel moves.

First, Kelly shipped RB LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for his former linebacker at Oregon – Kiko Alonso – and then he traded QB Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for QB Sam Bradford.

Replacing 2013 rushing champion McCoy was going to be the hardest thing to do, but Kelly upgraded there as well in signing last year’s top runner DeMarco Murray, strengthening his team while weakening the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys.

Still, those moves did not change the odds too much, with Philadelphia going from 22/1 to win the 2016 Super Bowl down to 20/1 while Dallas has moved up to 14/1 from 12/1.