Super Bowl odds turning in Hawks' favor

Money just doesn't go as far as it used to.

At least not if you're a Seahawks fan in Las Vegas this week.

Back in a long-forgotten time known as the NFL preseason, the Seahawks weren't even the favorites to win the NFC West, let alone the NFC. As a result, a little bit of faith in the Seahawks last August could soon pay off quite nicely.

Anyone who made a summer visit to one of Vegas' MGM/Mirage Resorts could have gotten 30-1 odds on the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl and 10-1 to win the NFC.

Now, after a 13-3 season that earned home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, Vegas oddsmakers are on the Seahawks bandwagon and the payoffs have dwindled accordingly.

Instead of getting a $600 payout on a $20 bet to win the Super Bowl, that same bet would only return $70 at the current 7-2 odds. And anyone wanting to cash in on a potential NFC championship will have to shell out $110 to win $100. In August that $110 wager would have earned $1,100 if the Hawks make the February trip to Detroit.

"The way they've played throughout the last 14 weeks or so, they're a deserved favorite," said Robert Walker, the race- and sports-book manager at the Mirage who sets the line for 13 MGM/Mirage Resorts, including the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Luxor. "They've got the marquee players, the record. They look like the team to beat in the NFC."

Only Indianapolis, at -120 (bet $120 to win $100) is viewed as a bigger favorite to win the Super Bowl. Denver is 4-1 and New England, the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, is 9-2.

According to the Mirage, the most likely Super Bowl matchup is between the Seahawks and the Colts, getting 3-2 odds. The least likely? Jacksonville versus Washington at 300-1.

In the interest of maximizing Super Bowl betting, Walker hopes for a strong playoff showing by the Seahawks. As things stand now, the AFC is a 10-point favorite over the NFC in a Super Bowl proposition bet. Two convincing wins by the team considered to be the NFC's best would lower that line and encourage betting.

"The best-case scenario for us is if Seattle wins both games at home convincingly," Walker said. "If Seattle looks phenomenal, we can make it a more attractive line. We're hoping the Seahawks, or whoever comes out of the NFC, looks really good. We don't want a 17-point line on the Super Bowl. That's not conducive to betting."

So there you have it. Las Vegas, like Seattle, roots for the Seahawks.

John Boyle: jboyle@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2364.