2011 Super Bowl Odds: Green Bay Packers Get Early Money As Line Shifts

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers opened as 2.5-point favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Throughout the playoffs, money came in hard on the Packers' side, leaving Vegas little choice but to install Green Bay as favorites. Since then, Green Bay has seen a bit more action in early bets, evidenced by where the line has moved in the two days since it was posted.

As it stands now, the odds have Green Bay as a slightly bigger favorite, holding a three-point advantage in the Bodog.com books. Lines move for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which has to do with where the money is flowing. Point spreads are set to encourage equal betting and are fluid, moving one way or the other if the action becomes one-sided. In this case, it appears Green Bay is feeling the love early.

Will the spread continue to move in Green Bay's direction for the next two weeks? It's unlikely. At some point it will settle and may, in fact, head in the Steelers' direction as the game draws closer. It doesn't necessarily mean either team suddenly improved in the two weeks ahead of the game; it simply means gamblers are throwing their weight around.

With the Super Bowl the biggest gambling event of the year, there's plenty of money at stake as sports books adjust to the actions of the public. Keep an eye on the line for an indication of who America likes in the Super Bowl as it draws closer. It may not mean much, but it's a sign of where the public opinion lies. 

For more on the Super Bowl, check out our StoryStream for previews and other relevant information ahead of the game.