The Atlanta Falcons are red hot right now and firing on all cylinders in what should make for a thrilling matchup in Super Bowl LI against the perennial powerhouse New England Patriots.
It wasn't always a sure fire bet that the Falcons would make it this far, though. In fact, they were listed at 150-1 odds to even reach the Super Bowl back in Week 2 and prior to the season more fans had bet on the Browns to win the Super Bowl this year than the Falcons. THE BROWNS.
Per ESPN:
"When the NFL season kicked off in September, sportsbook operator CG Technology had taken more bets on the Cleveland Browns to win the Super Bowl than it had on the Falcons."
"We took a $5,000 bet at 40-1 on the Falcons to win the Super Bowl," CG Technology vice president Jason Simbal said. The ticket would net $200,000. "And we still win almost a million on the Falcons. That's how few people bet them."
Additionally, William Hill reported taking 184 tickets on the Falcons at odds of 100-1 or greater, while MGM 's sportsbook took 31 bets on the Falcons at 75-1, with an average amount of $70, according to vice president of race and sports Jay Rood.
So there are some people out there that have great odds riding on a Falcons win in Super Bowl LI, but overall the casinos aren't worried at all.
"Some people have some pretty nice tickets on them," Rood said. "But we still look great to them."
On the other hand, more bets had been placed on New England to win the Super Bowl in September than any other team at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, although the books kept the Patriots' odds low enough that they'll still come out on top even if New England wins.
Currently, the Pats are 3-point favorites over the Falcons.
