Johnny Manziel improved Cleveland Browns’ Super Bowl odds to 30/1
By Hayden Kane
The Cleveland Browns are posturing, insisting that Johnny Manziel will not necessarily be handed the reigns as the starting quarterback from day one.
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It appears that the odds-makers in Las Vegas are not persuaded by these early comments from the Browns during off-season training activities. They believe Manziel will be the starting QB for the Browns. What’s more, they seem to find that to be a significant improvement on the team’s prospects for the 2014 season, something that is reflected in the change in their Super Bowl odds.
Per David Purdrum:
#Browns have gone from 200/1 to 30/1 to win the Super Bowl at the MGM. http://t.co/1KsDKGDXSr
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) May 29, 2014
All of these betting lines in Vegas should be taken for what they are, of course. They are meant to invite action. That said, they do also provide a pretty general sense of where teams stand entering the season. To think that the Browns went from a complete joke to a team that should at least be taken seriously just with the addition of Manziel seems drastic.
The odds might also be moving, however, because people were pounding the bet with the odds at 200/1. That makes sense, but even still this seems like a pretty drastic move based on one controversial rookie quarterback who may or may not play this season. It also makes you wonder what, other than celebrity profile and hype on Twitter, the true difference is between Manziel and a guy like Brian Hoyer.