Russell Wilson in Denver: Are the Broncos Super Bowl Favorites?
The Seattle Seahawks dealt the best quarterback the franchise has ever had, Russell Wilson, to the Denver Broncos earlier this off-season in a somewhat surprising move, and this might change Super Bowl odds.
The Seahawks received the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, a 2023 first round pick, five additional picks, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, and quarterback Drew Lock.
A third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson spent 10 seasons with the team and led Seattle to its first Super Bowl in 2013 following a 13-3 regular season. He won 113 games, including playoffs, with the Seahawks and holds 26 major franchise records.
Yet, Wilson is now behind quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow when it comes to media hype and attention. Does he still have what it takes to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league and lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl? A lot of bettors think so.
Read more about Denver sports betting.
Bettors Like the Broncos’ Super Bowl Odds
The Broncos have the eighth-best odds to win the Super Bowl. Most sportsbooks have the team at +1600 to win the big game this year, which seems about right considering the talent on the teams favored ahead of the Broncos.
The Chargers (Justin Herbet), Packers (Aaron Rodgers), Rams (Matt Stafford), and Chiefs (Mahomes) are just some of the teams favored ahead of the Broncos and they all have top-10 quarterbacks. Wilson, based on pedigree, is a top-10 QB, but the Broncos have other areas of concern, like their offensive and defensive lines.
That said, Denver has talented offensive weapons and should have no trouble scoring points. At one sportsbook, the Broncos have received the second-most tickets written (10.9 percent) behind only the Buffalo Bills. Sportsbooks will be rooting against the Broncos this season, while bettors need to think about if now is the right time to get in on the action.
Wilson Bringing His Private QB Coach to Denver
Wilson, for his part, is doing all he can to give the Broncos the best chance at competing for a Super Bowl. He brought his private QB coach, Jake Heaps, with him to Denver and has been working out regularly throughout the summer in OTAs and private sessions.
“But I think to do what we want to accomplish and for Russell, what he wants to accomplish in his career over the next 10 years here in Denver, there’s a lot of things we wanted to do not only for him and his career but for the Denver community from a training aspect and all that,” Heaps told USA TODAY Sports.
A former teammate of Wilson, Heaps has worked with the veteran quarterback since 2016.
“He wants to be great,” added Heaps. “He already is great, but what he wants to accomplish over the second half of his career, he wants it to be special and I think he has the ability to do that in Denver.”
