The New England Patriots were the slight favorites in Super Bowl XLVI, but fell to the New York Giants on Sunday. Although the San Francisco 49ers missed out on making it to the big game, they are almost certainly already thinking about next season. Coincidentally, so are the oddsmakers, who have already released a cursory list of odds on each team winning next year's Super Bowl.
Joe Fortenbaugh of the National Football Post relays the early odds for next year's Super Bowl.The Niners are currently looking at 20-1 odds against them going all the way next year, putting them in the same tier as teams such as the Falcons, Lions, Cowboys and Jets. The New York Giants are currently at 20-1, but expect them to jump in the rankings following their big Super Bowl win. The Niners will likely do everything that can to make sure those odds are looking more favorable once next season is in full swing. If you wanted a comparison, the early odds following Super Bowl XLV put the Niners at 40-1, but those odds had actually increased to 60-1 just before the season started. It seems this current 49ers team is well-versed in overcoming odds.
The early favorites for next year's Super Bowl are the Green Bay Packers at 5-1, the New Orleans Saints at 6-1 and the New England Patriots at 8-1.
The longest shots for winning it all in 2013 are the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars, all looking at 100-1 odds.
For all news and information regarding the San Francisco 49ers, please visit Niners Nation. For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.