How Super Bowl 55 Odds Shifted With Player Opt-Outs

Not all players are reporting to camp as NFL trainings camps open. More than two dozen players have opted out of the 2020 NFL season, citing concerns about playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens more have been placed on the reserve/COVID 19 list.

Players have been scheduled to show up to camp for three days of COVID-19 testing, followed by physicals and equipment dates, with on-field activities beginning Aug. 3.

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Twenty-eight players have opted out of the season and some teams have been hit harder by pandemic concerns than others.

Here are the best available Super Bowl 55 odds for the top 20 NFL teams compared to the odds of just one month ago.

NFL odds current as of publication

Among the teams with notable movement in Super Bowl odds:

Los Angeles Chargers +5000 –> +4500

The Chiefs are the top Super Bowl contender out of the AFC West, and it isn’t really close. But when it comes to the other three teams from the division, the Chargers are finding love.

L.A.’s odds weren’t affected by players opting out, but by one big player signing a long-term deal. Joey Bosa inked an extension that keeps him with the Chargers through 2025.

While the Broncos and Raiders may appear to be a year off from contending status, the Chargers should have one of the league’s top defenses. Offense is a question, but with the playoff expansion, bettors believe the Chargers are a team that can lock it up.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1000 –> +1400

The Buccaneers haven’t lost anyone yet to the opt-out clause. This is more of a bounce back from what was likely too low of an odds crash after the free-agent addition of All-Everything QB Tom Brady, followed by his former top target Rob Gronkowski.

Odds dropped to the point where the Bucs, who have had one winning season since 2011, were the NFC favorites to get to the Super Bowl. In a division with the Saints and Falcons, and a conference with the 49ers and a deep pool of other contenders, odds simply fell too far.

Tampa Bay is still a Super Bowl contender.

New England Patriots +2000 –> +2500

This one isn’t a shocker, other than perhaps the odds didn’t rise as high as some had expected. Signing Cam Newton to a one-year deal should lessen the void Brady created by signing with the Buccaneers. But six players have already opted out of 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns, including Pro Bowl LB Dont’a Hightower and starting safety Patrick Chung and right tackle Marcus Cannon.

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Despite the massive losses, the Patriots still have a real shot at a playoff berth, with the expansion to seven teams in each conference and a relatively poor AFC East to contend with. From there, if Bill Belichick and Newton get on the same page, perhaps it’s not a reach to view New England as a dark horse.

Atlanta Falcons +4500 –> +6000

Star RB Todd Gurley said last week he’s prepared to sit out if the NFL doesn’t do better. “There’s not a proper plan in place that I’m comfortable with,” Gurley told an Atlanta radio station.

The Falcons missed the playoffs after two years of success. Injuries were a huge part of what led to Atlanta’s 31st-ranked overall defense. Still, people are jumping ship with the improvement of the Buccaneers and question marks surrounding Gurley, returning RB Devonta Freeman, who missed most of last year, and a revamped offensive line that might include two rookies in Week 1.

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