The Washington Commanders are just one win away from making history as one of the biggest preseason underdogs to reach the Super Bowl. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. The Eagles are the favorites, listed as 6-point favorites at ESPN BET on Friday. In contrast, the Commanders were considered much bigger underdogs earlier in the season.
The Long Shot Journey to the NFC Championship
At the start of the season, the Commanders were given 150-1 odds to win the Super Bowl. Their odds worsened to as long as 250-1 by Week 3. If the Commanders win on Sunday, they will match the 1999 St. Louis Rams for the longest preseason odds for a Super Bowl participant since the NFL switched to a 16-game schedule in 1978, according to SportsOddsHistory.com.
Few Believed in the Commanders at the Start
Hardly any bettors took a chance on the Commanders in the preseason. A Virginia bettor placed a $500 Super Bowl bet at 150-1 odds on August 17, which is among the largest reported preseason bets on Washington.
During the offseason, 27 teams, including the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and New England Patriots, received more Super Bowl bets than the Commanders at BetMGM sportsbooks. In fact, there was about 10 times more money wagered on the New York Jets to win the Super Bowl than on the Commanders before the season began.
Commanders Now Popular Bet to Beat Eagles
Fast forward four months, and the Commanders are now the most popular bet at BetMGM. More bets have been placed on Washington to beat the Eagles outright than any other outcome in this weekend’s championship games. The Commanders are +240 underdogs to win the game.
In the AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites over the Buffalo Bills at ESPN BET. The second-most popular NFL bet at BetMGM this weekend is for the Bills to beat the Chiefs outright, as of Friday.
