Colts' Super Bowl odds shortened after Wentz trade
Unprecedented quarterback movement could define the 2021 NFL offseason, and the second domino has fallen - shuffling the early Super Bowl odds as a result.
The Colts reportedly acquired Carson Wentz from the Eagles on Thursday for a third-round pick and a second-rounder that could become a first-rounder if he plays 75% or more of the team's offensive snaps, or 70% and the club makes the playoffs. The move comes after 2020 Colts starter Philip Rivers announced his retirement a month ago.
With Wentz as the team's presumptive new starting quarterback, Indianapolis' Super Bowl odds were adjusted from 25-1 to 17-1, according to Jay Rood, Bet.Works' chief risk officer and theScore Bet's head trader. Philadelphia remains at 60-1 to win it all after oddsmakers were anticipating a Wentz deal since the start of the offseason.
The move sets up the Colts for a potential run at their first AFC South title since 2014, when Andrew Luck was in his third year with the team. With an elite defense and dangerous rushing attack leading the way, Indianapolis tied for the division lead with an 11-5 record in 2020.
The weak link was Rivers, who finished 15th in PFF's passing grade among the 20 quarterbacks with at least 500 dropbacks. The only problem? Wentz finished dead last in that category, and in plenty of other metrics - including adjusted completion percentage (70.1%), ball-location accuracy (47%), and turnover-worthy plays (24).
There's reason for optimism that Wentz can rebound in 2021 and subsequently justify the Colts' shortened title odds. The sixth-year quarterback was an MVP front-runner in 2017, when he threw for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns over 13 games with Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich as his offensive coordinator.
Reich helped Wentz with some mechanical tweaks ahead of that 2017 campaign, and he could be the answer to fixing whatever ailed the signal-caller in 2020. If he does, the Colts might be a steal for those who bought early in the title market.
C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.