Super Bowl 2016: Predictions and Odds for Favorites Entering Week 17

Looking at the Super Bowl odds is an easy way to see how the world at large views the NFL's hierarchy. Vegas insiders run numbers that even the biggest advanced metrics communities would die to possess, and oftentimes, their predictions are far more sophisticated than that of your average television talking head.

While anything does and can happen on a week-to-week basis—favorites rarely actually come away with the Lombardi Trophy—the odds appear very much in the New England Patriots' favor. As it stands, the Patriots are viewed by oddsmakers as the only legitimate threat to win the title out of the AFC. They're sitting at 7-2, which means you'll win $350 for every $100 you wager.

Team	Odds
New England Patriots	7-2
Arizona Cardinals	7-2
Carolina Panthers	5-1
Seattle Seahawks	15-2
Denver Broncos	10-1
Kansas City Chiefs	14-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	16-1
Green Bay Packers	16-1
Cincinnati Bengals	20-1
Minnesota Vikings	28-1
New York Jets	28-1
Washington Redskins	50-1
Houston Texans	66-1

That puts them tied with the Arizona Cardinals as co-favorites, but it's more instructive to see how the Patriots compare to their contemporaries. No other AFC team is sitting at better than 10-1 odds, and that team is an extremely flawed Denver Broncos squad.

The Broncos beat the Patriots earlier this season and are coming off an overtime triumph against Cincinnati, but their offensive woes are a problem. Brock Osweiler has been the textbook definition of "fine" since entering the lineup, throwing for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns against four interceptions in seven games. He's been a far better option than the 2015 version of Peyton Manning, who appeared broken down before suffering a foot injury that's kept him on the shelf.

What isn't clear at this point is whether Osweiler is better than the version of Manning who will be available for the playoffs. Manning isn't going to be fully healthy for close to a year, but it's fair to wonder if a five-time MVP at 80 percent is better than an unproven 25-year-old at 100 percent. Broncos coach Gary Kubiak appears settled on Osweiler; rolling the dice on that being the right decision has understandably scared some bettors away. 

Don Wright/Associated Press

The Broncos aren't the only AFC contender with problems at quarterback, either. Cincinnati has been without quarterback Andy Dalton since Dec. 13's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and has an unclear return date. Mike Silver of NFL Network reported it's unlikely Dalton will play in the Bengals' divisional round game, which leaves their playoff hopes up to AJ McCarron. The former Alabama star has largely been fine since entering the lineup, but his production has paled in comparison to Dalton, who was an outside MVP candidate.

"He's a special kid. Everyone knows that," linebacker Rey Maualuga said, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. "I don't think anybody had any doubts in his playmaking abilities. He's showed flashes of how good he could be."

That injury has the Bengals sitting with worse odds than the Chiefs or Steelers, the latter of whom isn't even locked into the playoffs. Pittsburgh might actually be New England's biggest threat from a talent standpoint but will need a win over the Browns and a Jets loss to the Bills to sneak into the No. 6 seed. And even the Steelers are relying on DeAngelo Williams at running back following Le'Veon Bell's season-ending injury.

Suffice it to say: The Patriots, even with their own Christmas list of injuries, are the clear favorites to take the AFC.

In the NFC, things are far more murky. The Cardinals and Panthers might be the two best teams in football at the moment. Arizona is coming off a 38-8 victory over the Green Bay Packers, a two-way virtuoso performance that embarrassed Aaron Rodgers and sent a statement to the NFL. The Cardinals scored two defensive touchdowns, got another sterling performance from Carson Palmer and saw running back David Johnson go over 100 total yards yet again.

Defensive tackle Calais Campbell responded when asked if his team was the league's best, per Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official website:

"

Honestly, the only time that question matters is in February, that first Sunday in February. That's when you get to decide who the best team in the NFL is. Right now, it doesn't really matter. We're out here trying to set ourselves in position to make a run for it. Hopefully at the end of the year we can answer that question properly.

"

David Goldman/Associated Press

Meanwhile, one loss has Carolina looking up at Arizona on the oddsmakers boards. The Panthers won their first seven one-score games this season, so Sunday's 20-13 loss was probably just a mean regression. But it's still instructive that most don't feel this Carolina team is infallible. Its skill-position talent has been propped up most of the season by the singularity of Cam Newton, the favorite for MVP who needs to be near-flawless for this offense to hum.

Beyond Arizona and Carolina sit Green Bay and Seattle, two wildly talented teams that have spent most of 2015 trying to find themselves. They've basically talented (sure, that can be a verb, right?) themselves into the postseason while everyone has waited on them to put it all together. The Seahawks can't be discounted in any matchup, but they're going to need to do it all on the road. The Packers were a bumbling mess against Arizona and have too many offensive issues to really contend—right until you remember Rodgers is super good at football.

If we're betting now, Arizona-New England is the easy choice. Odds are, though, we'll be wildly wrong. 

Odds via Odds Shark.