Panthers’ betting odds make funny move after Baker Mayfield trade
Aug 17, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Most teams see an improvement in their odds after making a major trade. The Carolina Panthers are not one of those teams.
Online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag revealed this week the updated odds for the Panthers to win the Super Bowl following their acquisition of former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. Interestingly enough, Carolina’s odds are now worse with Mayfield on the roster.
The Panthers were listed at 125-1 to win the Super Bowl before the Mayfield trade and are now listed at 130-1 after the trade. Additionally, the team has seen their odds to win both the NFC (from 50-1 to 60-1) and the NFC South (from 10-1 to 11-1) worsen with the addition of Mayfield.
The ex-Heisman winner Mayfield will immediately enter into a quarterback competition in Carolina with incumbent Sam Darnold (not to mention that the team also just used a third-round pick on QB Matt Corral). But none of those players are real needle-movers, and the Panthers still face many other questions heading into 2022, including the health of Christian McCaffrey.
With or without Mayfield, the Panthers probably have about as much chance of winning this year’s Super Bowl as Mike Tyson has of winning this year’s Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. But oddsmakers aren’t too encouraged about the Mayfield trade regardless, especially since it has already gotten awkward with one of Mayfield’s new teammates.
