Elise Amendola/Associated Press
As another N.F.L. season winds to a close, the New England Patriots find themselves in a familiar position: favorites in the Super Bowl. But it wasn’t certain they would hold the honor until nearly the last minute.
For much of the season, the Patriots were considered a tier below the best teams; for months, that group included the Saints, the Chiefs and the Rams. Throughout the season, bookmakers offering early Super Bowl wagering made the N.F.C. entrant — whomever it turned out to be — a 3-point favorite over a generic A.F.C. representative.
As the big game got closer, however, oddsmakers began offering odds on hypothetical Super Bowl matchups.