More Bets On Browns Than Falcons To Win Super Bowl Before Season Started

The Atlanta Falcons have a chance to help some very shrewd gamblers (or very optimistic Falcons fans) win a lot of money.

The Falcons will battle the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, a matchup that seems to make a lot of sense. The Falcons have an otherworldly offense to go along with an adequate defense, while the Patriots are the Patriots.

Seeing New England in the Super Bowl isn’t much of a surprise, and with the benefit of hindsight, neither is Atlanta. However, the Falcons were fairly sizable long shots entering the season, especially according to the sportsbooks. That’s in part to a lack of betting activity centered around the Falcons.

“In the offseason, there was so little betting interest in the Atlanta Falcons that some Las Vegas sportsbooks lengthened their Super Bowl odds from 40-1 to 100-1 in an attempt to drum up some action,” ESPN.com noted Monday.

Apparently, the Falcons’ odds and/or the betting interest in the club were so screwy that more people actually bet on the Cleveland Browns to win the Super Bowl.

“When the NFL season kicked off in September, sportsbook operator CG Technology had taken more bets on the Cleveland Browns to win the Super Bowl than it had on the Falcons,” according to ESPN.com.

Of course, had the Browns miraculously won the Super Bowl, a futures ticket on them would be worth a lot of money.

Then again, betting on the Browns to win the Super Bowl is no better than setting money on fire. Actually, setting money on fire might be more enjoyable.

h/t Coed.com

Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images