Much is expected of defending Super Bowl champions, so it’s probably not a surprise that a Nevada oddsmaking firm has made the Seahawks favorites in all but one of their first 15 regular season games of 2013.
CG Technology, which operates eight Nevada sports books, has installed Seattle as a favorite in all but one game through Week 16 — its Thanksgiving night matchup at San Francisco.
No team is favored more frequently than Seattle on CG Technology’s regular season pro football lines, which have been posted for all weeks save for Week 17, the final slate of regular season games.
In addition to Seattle, seven other clubs have been made favorites in at least two-thirds of their 2014 regular season games: Denver (13 games), Green Bay (12), New England (12), San Francisco (12), Detroit (10), Indianapolis (10) and Pittsburgh (10). Of that group, the Lions and Steelers, each of whom missed the postseason ago, are the surprises.
Speaking of surprises: the Raiders and Jaguars aren’t favored once in the first 16 weeks of the regular season by CG Technology.
Now, of course, these are early lines. Much can change once the games begin, including how clubs are perceived. Ultimately, Oakland and Jacksonville supporters have to hope that these preseason projections serve as humorous fall reading material.
For now, here’s a listing of how often the other 30 teams are favored this season. Consider it an early measurement of public perception. Opponents are listed in order of how they appear on the club’s schedule:
Seattle Seahawks (14): Green Bay (-5), at San Diego (-2.5), Denver (-3.5), at Washington (-4.5), Dallas (-7.5), at St. Louis (-6), at Carolina (-1.5), Oakland (-14.5), N.Y. Giants (-10), at Kansas City (-2.5), Arizona (-10.5), at Philadelphia (-1), San Francisco (-3.5), at Arizona (-3.5).
Denver Broncos (13): Indianapolis (-7), Kansas City (-7), Arizona (-9), at N.Y. Jets (-6), San Francisco (-3), San Diego (-8.5) at Oakland (-10), at St. Louis (-4.5), Miami (-10), at Kansas City (-3), Buffalo (-11.5), at San Diego (-3.5), at Cincinnati (-1.5).
Green Bay Packers (12): N.Y. Jets (-8.5), at Detroit (-1) Minnesota (-10), at Miami (-2.5), Carolina (-4) Chicago (-6), Philadelphia (-4.5), at Minnesota (-4.5), New England (-3.5), Atlanta (-6.5), at Buffalo (-4.5), at Tampa Bay (-3).
New England Patriots (12): at Miami (-3.5), at Minnesota (-3), Oakland (-13), Cincinnati (-4), at Buffalo (-3.5), N.Y. Jets (-7.5), Chicago (-4.5), Denver (-1) Detroit (-6) at San Diego (-1), Miami (-6.5), at N.Y. Jets (-3).
San Francisco 49ers (12): at Dallas (-3.5), Chicago (-7), at Arizona (-2.5), Philadelphia (-6), Kansas City (-7), at St. Louis (-4.5), St. Louis (-11), at N.Y. Giants (-3), Washington (-8.5), Seattle (-2.5), at Oakland (-7), San Diego (-7).
Detroit Lions (10): N.Y. Giants (-4), at N.Y. Jets (-1), Buffalo (-7.5), at Minnesota (-1), New Orleans (-1.5), at Atlanta (-1), Miami (-5), Chicago (-3), Tampa Bay (-6), Minnesota (-7).
Indianapolis Colts (10): Philadelphia (-2.5), at Jacksonville (-6), Tennessee (-7.5), Baltimore (-3) Cincinnati (-2.5), New England (-1), Jacksonville (-12), Washington (-6), at Cleveland (-1), Houston (-4.5).
Pittsburgh Steelers (10): Cleveland (-5), Tampa Bay (-3.5), at Jacksonville (-6.5), Houston (-3.5), Indianapolis (-2), Baltimore (-2.5), at N.Y. Jets (-2), at Tennessee (-2) New Orleans (-2.5) Kansas City (-1.5).
Carolina Panthers (9): at Tampa Bay (-2), Detroit (-3.5), Pittsburgh (-3.5), Chicago (-3.5), New Orleans (-2.5), Atlanta (-4), at Minnesota (-3), Tampa Bay (-6.5), Cleveland (-7.5).
New Orleans Saints (9): at Cleveland (-2.5), Minnesota (-10), Tampa Bay (-7.5), Green Bay (-2.5), San Francisco (-1.5), Cincinnati (-4), Baltimore (-6.5), Carolina (-3.5), Atlanta (-6.5).
Chicago Bears (8): Buffalo (-6.5), Green Bay (-1.5), Miami (-6), Minnesota (-7), Tampa Bay (-6), Dallas (-4.5), New Orleans (-3), Detroit (-4).
Cincinnati Bengals (8): Atlanta (-3), Tennessee (-7), Carolina (-2), Baltimore (-3), Jacksonville (-11), Cleveland (-6.5), Pittsburgh (-3), at Cleveland (-1.5).
Dallas Cowboys (8): at Tennessee (-2.5), Houston (-4.5), N.Y. Giants (-3.5), Washington (-4.5), Arizona (-3.5), at Jacksonville (-10), Philadelphia (-1.5), Indianapolis (-2.5).
New York Giants (8): Arizona (-3), Houston (-4), Atlanta (-2.5), Indianapolis (-1), Dallas (-2.5), at Jacksonville (-5.5), at Tennessee (-1), Washington (-3.5).
Philadelphia Eagles (8): Jacksonville (-11), Washington (-4.5), St. Louis (-6), N.Y. Giants (-4.5), Carolina (-1), Tennessee (-7), Dallas (-3), at Washington (-1.5).
Arizona Cardinals (7): San Diego (-3), Washington (-4), at Oakland (-3.5), Philadelphia (-2), St. Louis (-4), Detroit (-2.5), Kansas City (-2).
Atlanta Falcons (7): New Orleans (-1), Tampa Bay (-5.5), at Minnesota (-1), Chicago (-3), Cleveland (-7), Arizona (-4), Pittsburgh (-3.5).
Baltimore Ravens (7): Cincinnati (-2.5), Pittsburgh (-2), Carolina (-1), Atlanta (-3), Tennessee (-6), San Diego (-3), Jacksonville (-10.5).
Houston Texans (7): Washington (-2.5), at Oakland (-2.5) Buffalo (-5) Indianapolis (-1), Tennessee (-5), at Jacksonville (-4.5) Baltimore (-1).
Kansas City Chiefs (7): Tennessee (-5), New England (-1), St. Louis (-6.5), N.Y. Jets (-6), at Buffalo (-2), at Oakland (-4), Oakland (-8.5).
Buffalo Bills (6): Miami (-1), San Diego (-1), Minnesota (-2.5), N.Y. Jets (-2.5), Cleveland (-2.5), at Oakland (-1).
San Diego Chargers (6): Jacksonville (-10), N.Y. Jets (-4), at Oakland (-2.5), Kansas City (-2), Oakland (-8), St. Louis (-4).
Miami Dolphins (5): Oakland (-5), at Jacksonville (-4), San Diego (-2.5), Buffalo (-3.5), Minnesota (-4).
Washington Redskins (5): Jacksonville (-9), N.Y. Giants (-1.5), Tennessee (-3.5), Tampa Bay (-2.5), St. Louis (-2.5).
Cleveland Browns (4): at Jacksonville (-2.5), Oakland (-4.5), Tampa Bay (-2.5), Houston (-1.5).
St. Louis Rams (4): Minnesota (-4.5), Oakland (-5.5), Arizona (-1), N.Y. Giants (-3).
Tennessee Titans (4): Cleveland (-2.5), Jacksonville (-7), N.Y. Jets (-1.5), at Jacksonville (-3).
New York Jets (3): Oakland (-4.5), Buffalo (-2.5), Miami (-1).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3): St. Louis (-2.5), Baltimore (-1), Minnesota (-3).
Minnesota Vikings (2): Washington (-1.5), N.Y. Jets (-2).
Jacksonville Jaguars: None.
Oakland Raiders: None.