The Minnesota Vikings made some positive steps during the 2014 season, but they remain a long shot to win their first Super Bowl next February in San Francisco.
Even with the improvements, oddsmakers don’t exactly see the Vikings as favorites to win Super Bowl 50. In fact, Minnesota faces some of the longest odds of any team in the NFC North.
Oddsmakers wasted little time releasing their Super Bowl 50 odds. Less than one day after Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl by holding off Seattle, the odds for 2016’s game were released.
William Hill U.S. and Pregame.com listed the Vikings as 60-1 shots to win Super Bowl 50. Bovada.com gives them 40-1 odds and the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book gives the Vikings 50-1 odds to win it.
That leaves Minnesota virtually tied with Chicago for the longest odds of any team in the NFC North. Generally, oddsmakers have the Detroit Lions between 22-1 and 33-1, while Green Bay remains one of the favorites between 6-1 and 8-1.
But, according to ESPN, it’s still quite a bit more respect than the Vikings were getting at the same time last year.
“The Las Vegas Hotel installed them as 100-1 shots to win Super Bowl XLIX. That’s largely because of Teddy Bridgewater, one presumes, and the Vikings’ odds could get even better with a few moves this offseason. Mostly, though, the odds are just for fun at this point.”
There aren’t many surprises among the favorites. Pro Football Talk notes Seattle (5-1), New England (6-1), Green Bay (7-1), Denver (8-1) and Dallas (12-1) are the top five.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Titans, Jaguars and Raiders are all around 300-1.
But then again, it’s awfully early.
