HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: The New England Patriots celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Vegas oddsmakers have two storied NFL franchises as the most likely Super Bowl matchup

This would be great for ratings.

The 2017-18 NFL season hasn't even kicked off yet, but that doesn't mean the oddsmakers in Vegas aren't releasing Super LII odds before the season gets underway. The Golden Nugget released odds on every single potential Super Bowl LII match-up and the New England Patriots defending their title against the Dallas Cowboys sits at No. 1 with 7-1 odds.

Via ESPN:

"The Golden Nugget has released odds on all 256 potential Super Bowl LII matchups available for betting at its sportsbook in downtown Vegas. The most likely Super Bowl matchup is the defending champion New England Patriots facing the Dallas Cowboys at 7-1, followed by the Patriots taking on the Green Bay Packers at 8-1."

These odds are interesting for a multitude of reasons.

The Patriots being No. 1 shouldn't shock anyone, especially when you take into account their busy offseason highlighted by adding Brandin Cooks to an already explosive New England offense. The Patriots got better and won the Super Bowl last year. They added Kony Ealy, Mike Gillisllee, Rex Burkhead, Stephon Gilmore, along with several other solid moves to keep the Patriots in contention for the twilight of Tom Brady's career.

The Cowboys, however, had less-than-ideal offseason, highlighted by losing Tony Romo to retirement, a shakeup on the offensive line, and a defense that got a lot younger and needs to have a big year. The Cowboys should still be a good team 2017-18, but analysts and writers are split as to whether or not a repeat of last year's rise to the No. 1 spot in the NFC is in the cards this year.

Still, these are still very early odds and things change and injuries happen. The Patriots are probably the best bet to get back to the Super Bowl, and the Cowboys have a decent shot, too, but face stiffer competition in Green Bay, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle and more.