The betting public is excited about the Cleveland Browns' chances to win the Super Bowl.
Entering Tuesday, the Browns were the eighth-most bet team to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings' New Jersey sportsbook. By Wednesday morning, after a flurry of interest from reports surfacing of a trade for New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland had attracted more bets and more money to win the Super Bowl than any other team.
The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas also significantly moved the Browns' Super Bowl odds, from 25-1 to 14-1. Just one season removed from going 0-16, Cleveland now has 7-1 odds to win the AFC, behind only the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs at the SuperBook.
The Browns were ninth in amount wagered on the SuperBook's Super Bowl odds, significantly behind the Patriots. SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman said they had already taken multiple five-figure bets on New England to win the Super Bowl next season, the largest a $40,000 wager at 6-1 odds.
Cleveland plays at New England this season. Oddsmakers projected the point spread on that game would be anywhere from Patriots -3.5 to -4.5, potentially a little higher.
The addition of Beckham to the Browns' upgraded roster is worth ".5 to 1 point" to the team's power rating, in line with other elite players like Julio Jones and Antonio Brown, according to Sherman. Cleveland also is expected to add defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and defensive end Olivier Vernon this offseason.
"[The Browns] are going to be a sizable favorite to win the AFC North and make the playoffs," Sherman said. "That's the NFL for you. Things change quickly."
New Jersey online sportsbook PointsBet was one of the few sportsbooks that elected not to change the Browns' odds to win the Super Bowl, keeping them at 30-1.
By Wednesday morning, the book's liability on the Browns winning the Super Bowl had grown to around $250,000, "10 times greater than any other team," PointsBet CEO Johnny Aitken told ESPN, adding that he'd rather take bets on Cleveland than the Patriots, Chiefs or Los Angeles Rams.
"We're all right with taking bets on the Browns," Aitken said.