Big Ben Causes Big Drop in Super Bowl Odds

With Big Ben Roethlisberger - who has behaved like a big jerk - suspended at least four games, the Super Bowl odds for his Steelers tumbled even further than his reputation last week.

Pittsburgh had been 12/1 odds at most sportsbooks prior to his drunken sexual encounter with a college student in Georgia. A quick scan of books covered by odds aggregator OddsShark.com shows most of them have dropped their odds as fast as Ben dropped his pants.

"Some still have Pitt at 10/1 or so, but I think they have been slow on the uptake to revise the Super Bowl futures," said football analyst Mike Pickett.

"The more common position is 20/1 and that has everything to do with Big Ben."

Roethlisberger’s off-field transgressions finally caught up with him this week after Roger Goodell handed him a six-game suspension that could be reduced to four games if Roethlisberger stays in line.

Four or six games don’t matter much to the oddsmakers. Those odds could continue to drop if the Steelers decide to do with Roethlisberger what they did with Santonio Holmes.

The former Super Bowl MVP wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh after numerous off-field problems and he was shipped to the Jets. That left the Steelers' receiving corps a little shorthanded, with an aging Hines Ward and Mike Wallace in the starting roles.

The rumors are already circulating that Roethlisberger is available for a Top 10 pick in tonight’s draft. (Not surprisingly, there are tons of odds available on the draft as well). If Big Ben does get sent packing, the Steelers' options at quarterback aren’t very good.

They acquired Byron Leftwich earlier in the week, but he’s not someone you want as your No. 1 quarterback. The Steelers' other QB options, veteran Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon, are no better than Leftwich right now.

In other words, if the Steelers do trade away Roethlisberger, expect them to plummet on the future odds lists.

The Steelers’ loss on the futures has been the rest of the AFC North’s gain. Except of course for the Browns, who are going nowhere fast.

While Pittsburgh has taken a hit on the futures, the Ravens and the Bengals are climbing. Baltimore has overtaken the Steelers at 14/1, while the Bengals are gaining on them at 25/1.

No matter what happens with Big Ben, the divisional odds should also be very interesting when they become available.

Also be on the watch for odds for the Steelers' season opener, at home against Atlanta in Week 1. With Roethlisberger behind center, the Steelers likely would have been favored by a touchdown.

Now with Leftwich or Batch at QB, the Falcons could be the favorite.