Super Bowl 51 Odds Latest: New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys Destined To Play In Houston?

Two weeks remain in the NFL regular season. But while most of the postseason spots remain open, odds makers were appearing pretty confident when it comes to who exactly will square off in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017: the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

The latest odds show the AFC’s Patriots and the NFC’s Cowboys as the strongest possible pairing for the NFL’s championship game, with the Seattle Seahawks standing as Dallas’ main rival and the Pittsburgh Steelers New England’s.

With quarterback Tom Brady leading the league’s sixth highest-scoring offense and a defense allowing the fewest points per game (16.6), the Patriots are the outright favorite to win it all at 11/5 odds, according to Sportsbook.ag.

The Cowboys and their pair of star rookies in quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott are next up at 4/1 odds, followed by Seattle at 6/1 and Pittsburgh at 10/1. The much-improved Oakland Raiders (14/1), the Atlanta Falcons (15/1), the Green Bay Packers (15/1), the New York Giants (17/1) and the Kansas City Chiefs (18/1) all make up the second tier of Super Bowl contenders.

Considering their success over the last 16 years, New England’s favored status is nothing new. But the return of Dallas to the class of the NFC is. Hopes for the season seemed dashed after veteran signal caller Tony Romo went down with a back injury and second-stringer Kellen Moore broke his ankle. Yet, the fourth-round draft pick Prescott was given the keys to the offense’s engine and has powered Dallas to a 12-2 record, which included an 11-game winning streak.

Dallas now has the league’s fourth highest-scoring offense, and the defense has also exceeded expectations by allowing 18.4 points despite resting in the middle of the league in opponents’ third down conversions, turnovers and sacks.

While leading five fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives, Prescott’s gotten a major push from sure-fire Offensive Rookie of the Year and MVP contender Elliott. He’s currently first in the NFL in rushing with 1,551 yards – 327 yards more than No. 2 rusher and former Cowboy DeMarco Murray – and second only to New England running back LeGarrette Blount in rushing touchdowns with 13.

Dallas already secured a playoff berth – the first team in the league to do so this season – but should they make the Super Bowl it will face a Patriots squad that’s proven for the umpteenth time this season that adversity is only a word.

Brady sat out the first four games of the season due to his suspension in the “Deflategate” scandal and head coach Bill Belichick tapped third-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He went 2-0 as a starter before getting hurt, allowing rookie Jacoby Brissett to step in for the final two games and go 1-1 before Brady came back.

Ever since, New England’s gone 9-1 with Brady reaching 181 career victories as a starter for third all-time behind Hall of Famer Brett Favre and future HOFer and former foe Peyton Manning’s 186 wins.

With the Giants rounding into peak performance late in the season, many New England fans are clamoring for a third matchup against New York for revenge in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.

But at this point of the season, it appears the Patriots will face a different NFC East opponent.