With one injury, Sportsbook.com's NFL Futures odds shifted drastically on Sunday.
When MVP quarterback Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury, it opened up the race for the 2009 AFC Championship and Super Bowl and the new odds released at Sportsbook.com reflect that.
New England, the preseason Super Bowl favorites, saw their odds shift from 3-1 to 12-1 to win The Big Game. The Dallas Cowboys (5-1) are the new Super Bowl favorites, followed by the San Diego Chargers (6-1) and the Indianapolis Colts (7-1).
The Patriots' odds may seem generous with Matt Cassel taking over for the four-time Pro Bowler, but you can't count out a Bill Belichick-coached team, especially when they turned a backup quarterback into a Super Bowl winning QB once already.
"No-one predicted the Patriots going to the Super Bowl when Drew Bledsoe went down in 2001," said Sportsbook.com spokesman Dave Staley. "Belichick is always prepared and always has a game plan. They still have Randy Moss at receiver and any quarterback can find that big man."
The ability of the Patriots to strike lightning twice would be a longshot and even with coach Belichick and Moss, the Patriots odds to win the AFC have dropped significantly. New England is now 6-1 to win the conference after opening the season as the 8-5 favorite while several teams saw their odds significantly increase.
Brady's injury, along with strong opening week performances, saw the Steelers go from 8-1 to 5-1 to win the AFC at Sportsbook.com. The New York Jets went from 15-1 to 7-1, the Tennessee Titans from 20-1 to 15-1, the Buffalo Bills from 25-1 to 15-1 and the Baltimore Ravens from 50-1 to 30-1.
The Chargers and Colts are listed at identical 3-1 odds to win the AFC.
Not only are odds changing for teams, but the Super Bowl odds have changed as well. The AFC moved from a six-point favorite in the Super Bowl to a slim one-point favorite while the Total has dropped from 51 to 48.5.
"I can't remember the last time so many odds shifted this much from one player going down to injury," said Staley. "It's definitely one of the biggest sports injuries in recent memory."
The biggest fight now could be the battle for the AFC East division. The Patriots were heavy favorites to win the division at 1-10 odds with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets listed at 8-1 odds.
When the newest odds are released, you can bet that the Bills and Jets will be ranked right up there with the Patriots, perhaps even getting better odds than the New England team that has won the AFC East title the last five years.
Perhaps the most ironic part of the Brady injury is that New England fans were outraged when Cassel survived the final cuts just more than a week ago. The fourth-year pro was locked in a battle with undrafted free agent Matt Gutierrez and many Patriots fans felt that Gutierrez had won the backup job.
It was a surprise to many, including the local media, when Gutierrez was released and now the quarterback that Patriots fans didn't want is the one they are resting their hopes on.
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Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
