Super Bowl 2018 Odds: Vikings Favored Over Patriots, Steelers In Possible Matchup

The New England Patriots are the Super Bowl LII favorites at the start of the 2018 NFL playoffs. That doesn’t necessarily mean the betting odds will favor the defending champions once they get to the big game.

According to the betting lines posted by oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Minnesota Vikings would be favored over any potential Super Bowl opponent. That includes the Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, who are the top two seeds in the AFC.

Minnesota has a bye on Wild-Card Weekend, having clinched the NFC’s No.2 seed with a 13-3 regular season record. The Vikings have better Super Bowl odds than the No.1 seed Philadelphia Eagles, who will be without quarterback Carson Wentz for the entirety of the postseason.

Only the Patriots have better Super Bowl odds than Minnesota. BetDSI lists the Vikings as one-point favorites over New England in a potential matchup, via Sports Insights.

It might seem hard to believe that the Vikings would be favored to win a game over Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who have won five championships in the last 16 years. The location of the Super Bowl, however, would give Minnesota an advantage that no Super Bowl team has ever had.

Super Bowl LII will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, where the Vikings play their home games. No team has ever played the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Because it is the Super Bowl, the Vikings wouldn’t have a true home-field advantage. Most of the seats won’t belong to Minnesota season-ticket holders like they will during the team’s other home playoff games.

Minnesota went 7-1 at home during the regular season, only losing in Week 4 to the Detroit Lions.

There are skeptics that believe the Patriots would be favored over the Vikings, even with the game being played in Minnesota. New England was a 2.5-point favorite on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, a sign that the Patriots might be favored over every NFL team in any stadium.

Minnesota is probably the NFC’s best team in the playoffs, though that doesn’t mean they are without questions of their own. Their starting quarterback is Case Keenum, who before this year, hadn’t proven to be a reliable starter in four NFL seasons.

Keenum played surprisingly well during the 2017 season, almost entering the MVP conversation. Does that mean the gambling public will bet on him to defeat the greatest quarterback-head coach duo of all time?

New England has the NFL's No.1 ranked offense, and Brady is likely to win the NFL MVP award. Minnesota ranks first in total defense.

The current lookahead line has Minnesota favored by four points over Pittsburgh in a potential Super Bowl matchup. The Vikings would be favored by six points over the Jacksonville Jaguars and 6.5 points over the Kansas City Chiefs. The betting line for Minnesota against either the Tennessee Titans or Buffalo Bills is in double digits.

The Super Bowl point spreads, of course, could change drastically, depending on what happens during the playoffs.