Early betting action on several teams to win 2023 Super Bowl

The Super Bowl had just ended Sunday when gamblers began betting on the Rams to repeat as champions next year.

“They always will bet on the teams that win,” Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said.

The Buffalo Bills were the sole 7-1 favorite to win the 2023 Super Bowl before the Rams beat the Bengals, 23-20.

After Los Angeles lifted the Lombardi Trophy, Salmons lowered its odds from 8-1 and made them 7-1 co-favorites with Buffalo to win it all next season.

“If you go around and ask people who would they rate as the highest power-rated team going into next year, most of the answers would be Buffalo,” Salmons said. “They should’ve won the (playoff) game against Kansas City.

“Josh Allen right now looks like the best quarterback in the NFL. It’s hard to imagine they’re not going to keep getting better.”

The Bills, Chiefs and Rams are 8-1 co-favorites at the South Point, while Buffalo and Kansas City are +750 co-favorites at Circa Sports and BetMGM, where the Rams are 11-1.

Caesars, which also has the Bills and Chiefs as 7-1 co-favorites, took a $10,000 bet Sunday on Buffalo to win Super Bowl LVII.

The 49ers, Cowboys and Packers are each 12-1 at the SuperBook, followed by the Chargers at 16-1 and the Broncos, Bengals and Cardinals at 20-1.

Salmons lowered Green Bay from 16-1 to 12-1 to avoid getting stung if news breaks that two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is returning to the team.

“No one knows about Rodgers and we don’t want to get in a hole with Green Bay to start the year if someone finds out when we’re not looking,” he said.

Denver’s odds would be much higher if it hadn’t been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Rodgers and/or Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.

“We haven’t seen a penny on Denver,” Salmons said. “If Rodgers announces he isn’t going there and neither is Russell Wilson, Denver is going to be 50-1 real fast.”

The SuperBook lowered the Chargers to 16-1 after taking a wager on them at 20-1 that will pay a “decent six-figure amount” if they win Super Bowl LVII.

“The Chargers have everything in place to win, including a quarterback (Justin Herbert) on a rookie contract,” Salmons said. “If the Chargers can get one receiver, a Cooper Kupp type, that team could be unstoppable on offense. There’s not a lot there not to like with the Chargers.”

Money also trickled in on Tampa Bay at 50-1 despite the fact that Tom Brady retired.

“They still think Tampa will be good. Until they see it on the field, then they’ll believe it,” Salmons said. “I guess they think Brady will reconsider and come back or Rodgers or Wilson will go there.”

The Houston Texans are the longest shots on the board at 500-1, with the Lions, Giants, Jets and Jaguars at 100-1.

The Raiders are 40-1 at the SuperBook and 50-1 at BetMGM.

“The Raiders have had all these draft picks that basically haven’t gone their way,” Salmons said. “It’s hard to miss out on that many good picks and contend for a championship. They’ve got an older quarterback in (Derek) Carr that you can argue is limited.

“I like (coach Josh) McDaniels. He’s a fresh offensive mind. But the Raiders, to me, just don’t seem like a team ready to contend for a Super Bowl.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.