Super Bowl 2018 Odds: Las Vegas Point Spread Moving In Eagles' Direction

The public is gaining more and more confidence that the Philadelphia Eagles can become Super Bowl 2018 champions. With the NFL’s championship game less than a week away, the New England Patriots are just 4.5-point favorites in Super Bowl LII.

The Super Bowl betting odds have seen significant changes since the matchup was established following the NFC Championship Game. Some sportsbooks had the initial betting line as high as 6.5 points, and the betting line was either 5.5 or five points for much of last week in Las Vegas and online, according to OddsShark.

Philadelphia is still a heavy underdog by recent Super Bowl standards. Even with the betting line down to 4.5 points, New England is tied with the 2013 San Francisco 49ers and 2016 Carolina Panthers as the biggest Super Bowl favorite since 2011.

No team has been favored by more than five points since the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. The 2008 Patriots were the last double-digit Super Bowl favorite, losing to the New York Giants after entering the contest with an 18-0 record.

New England nearly lost as a three-point favorite in last year’s Super Bowl, though they came back to both win and cover the spread by making Super Bowl history. The Patriots scored 31 unanswered points against the Atlanta Falcons in the game’s final two quarters and overtime.

The Eagles covered the seven-point spread in Super Bowl XXXIX, but they lost to the Patriots by three points. While Philadelphia was led by six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb in that contest, they’ll have to rely on Nick Foles Sunday in Minneapolis.

Since taking over for the injured Carson Wentz and helping the Eagles beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, Foles has gone 4-1 as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback. He’s been terrific in two playoff games with three touchdowns, no interceptions, 598 passing yards and a 77.8 percent completion rate.

Tom Brady is about to play in his eighth Super Bowl, and Eli Manning is the only quarterback that’s ever defeated him in the big game. Brady’s injured hand will be fine when the contest kicks off, and tight end Rob Gronkowski should be ready to go after leaving the AFC Championship Game with a concussion.

The over/under is still 48 at most sportsbooks. Only two of the last nine Super Bowls have featured fewer than 48 total points.