Almost immediately after the 2011 Super Bowl ended, odds for the 2012 Super Bowl were released. Bodog.com took the liberties of setting odds well in advance of next year's game -- if it even happens, of course. The Green Bay Packers, winners of Super Bowl XLV, are favorites to repeat, holding 7/1 odds.
Poking around the rest of the odds, we can get an idea of what the competition in the NFC West, and the NFC as a whole, will look like in the 2011 season and playoffs. The Seattle Seahawks are very long-shots to win the Super Bowl, checking in at 85/1 underdogs. The San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams have the best shot in the NFC West, holding 40/1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVI. Even the hapless Arizona Cardinals hold better odds than the Seahawks at 75/1.
The New England Patriots hold the second-best odds at 8/1, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers -- losers of Super Bowl 45 -- at 10/1. Even the Dallas Cowboys have decent odds at 16/1.
Of the long-shots, only the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers hold worse odds than the Seahawks, at 100/1 each. After a surprising playoff run and an exciting end to the season, this should serve as a reality-check as the Seahawks head into what looks to be a serious rebuilding process.