Call it the Tom Brady effect.
Apparently, sports bettors really like to wager on the 6-time Super Bowl winning quarterback.
While, Las Vegas casinos and sportsbooks temporarily close to due the COVID-19 pandemic, sports gambling odds are still being posted in Vegas and around the world. Those odds have changed drastically since Brady signed a free-agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Before signing with Tampa Bay, the Bucs odds to win the Super Bowl were 25/1 at William Hill Sportsbook. After signing Brady, the Bucs odds to win the Super Bowl dropped to 16/1. Tampa’s odds to win the NFC also dropped from 12/1 to 8/1.
When the Buccaneers, a team with 3 straight losing seasons and a playoff drought that dates back to 2007, adds a 6-time Super Bowl winning QB, this is what happens.
On the flip side, the Super Bowl odds for the team Brady left took a hit. The New England Patriots once 10/1 quickly moved to 20/1 and are now 30/1 in some places.
Brady was not the only big name quarterback to change teams during this first week of NFL Free Agency. After 16 seasons with the Chargers, Philip Rivers is taking is bolo ties and southern slang to the Indianapolis Colts, and “daggum it” that really impacted the Colts Super Bowl odds.
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Before signing Rivers, the Colts Super Bowl odds were 45/1, now Indy is 20/1. Of course, one thing that might give bettors pause… Philip Rivers has never reached a Super Bowl.
Despite lots of player movement at the start of NFL free-agency, the favorite to win the Super Bowl remains the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are 9/2 favorites to repeat as NFL champion. The Baltimore Ravens, with the 5/1 Super Bowl odds, are next in line. If you’re curious, the Jacksonville Jaguars are bringing up the rear, that franchise is 300/1 longshot to win the Super Bowl.
Looking at the big picture of sports gambling, it’s an interesting time. The NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL, along with most professional sports leagues, have suspended or postponed their seasons. Additionally, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended all events of 50 or more people be stopped for at least the next 8 weeks. Basically, pro sports is on hiatus until we can get a better handle on the COVID-19 pandemic. So, while bettors can’t wager on the daily games, they can bet on which major sports league will be the first to return to action.
Here are the odds for which league will return to action first:
Major League Baseball (MLB) +175
National Hockey League (NHL) +180
National Basketball Association (NBC) +250
Major League Soccer (MLS) +400
From Brady, to Rivers, to no games, to COVID-19, it’s a new, rather “odd” gambling sports world, but still sports world with odds.
