Baltimore Ravens 2016 Super Bowl odds set way too low
Jan 29, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; General view of Super Bowl XLVII championship ring to commemorate the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on February 3, 2013 on display at the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport
Here’s a list of some of the luminous teams with better 2016 Super Bowl odds than the Baltimore Ravens: San Francisco 49ers (didn’t make playoffs this year, lost great offensive mind at head coach), Dallas Cowboys (best two offensive weapons are free agents), Philadelphia Eagles (didn’t make the playoffs, don’t have a quarterback), Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
Yes, the Ravens are seeded at 30:1 according to BaltimoreRavens.com and 33:1 by Bovada. For those keeping score at home, those are pretty long odds.
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This for a team that was a few plays away from defeating the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. This for a team that steamrolled the Pittsburgh Steelers (who have better odds by the way) in the Wild Card round. This from a team that won’t lose more than a handful of contributors from the 2014 team. I don’t get it.
Maybe John Harbaugh pays off media outlets and oddsmakers to perpetually disrespect the Ravens. After all, we know that the Ravens are at their best when no one believes in them.
Call me crazy, but I’m willing to bet on a team with a top-three coach, a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback and a ton of young, talented players.
And call me crazier, but I have a hunch that Ozzie Newsome has something big planned this year. Though the Ravens don’t have a ton of cap space, they have enough to sign or trade for a big addition. After two offseasons in cap hell, the Ravens could make a move every bit as big as the Anquan Boldin trade in 2010.
Even without such a move, the Ravens are in good shape.
They will have continuity on an offensive line that was among the league’s best for most of the season, and they’ll have Joe Flacco coming off a career season with an offensive coordinator dubbed the “quarterback whisperer.” Another weapon or two could give the Ravens one of the best offenses in the league.
Defensively, the Ravens have nearly every player on the best front-seven in the league returning. Though the secondary is awful, Ozzie Newsome has always been good at turning around huge issues like that. So there too, there is hope.
But really, my issue with the odds is more than just talent or offseason moves. It’s about having a championship pedigree. The Ravens do, and many of the teams with better odds don’t.
Accordingly, don’t bet your money on the Cowboys or the Eagles. Buy low on the Ravens, and don’t be surprised if you’re handsomely rewarded come season’s end.