As the Vikings' quarterback situation has fluctuated — to put it mildly — in recent weeks, so too have their chances of winning the Super Bowl. I've seen the Vikings' odds as strong as 16-to-1 before the Bridgewater injury, and I've seen them as bad as 45-1 after the injury but before the addition of Sam Bradford.
Vegas odds don't mean a ton, but again: the folks who set the lines didn't get all of those beautiful buildings constructed by being wrong.
So it's at least somewhat interesting to check in on the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook odds and what they have to say about the Vikings' Super Bowl chances.
The Vikings opened at 20-1, which presumably was right after the Super Bowl — and when Bridgewater was firmly entrenched as their quarterback.
And as of Monday, when new odds were released … they are right back where they started at 20-1.
Does that mean oddsmakers have equal faith in Bridgewater and Bradford? Well, maybe not exactly since Westgate was one of the spots that had the Vikings up to 16-1 in late April. But it does mean by at least one estimation that the Vikings are no worse off now than they were at the end of last season.
Other teams who have had notable QB changes in that same time span have seen their odds change dramatically. The Cowboys, with Tony Romo injured, went from opening at 14-1 to now sitting at 25-1. And the Texans, who made a big play for free agent Brock Osweiler, opened at 40-1 and are now at 16-1.
These aren't perfect representations of how each team is expected to fare, since lines also move to reflect wagering. Ideally for the house, there is an equal amount of betting on both sides, and the casino gets the take out of the middle.
