Patriots open as favorite over Eagles in Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS  — The New England Patriots are the favorite once again in this city's sports books to win the Super Bowl. They're a lopsided pick to win the one after that, too.

Do that, and Tom Brady and company may erase all arguments about the greatest NFL franchise ever.

Oddsmakers wasted little time Sunday in establishing the Patriots as between a 5-to-6 point favorite over the Philadelphia Eagles. Bettors didn't take long to weigh in themselves, with one gambler taking the points and putting a $10,000 bet on the Eagles at the South Point resort before their rout of the Minnesota Vikings was even over.

Oddsmakers at the William Hill chain also made the Patriots a 9-2 favorite to win next year's Super Bowl in Atlanta.

Sports book operators are predicting this year's game will set new betting records, continuing a trend that saw last year's game take in a record $138.5 million in legal bets.