Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers can't lose against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

At least that's what the bookies and many of the early gamblers seem to think, with ESPN reporting Carolina has been installed as clear-cut favorites for the Feb. 7 matchup at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. and much of the betting money thus far has been put on the Panthers.

"I can't remember a more one-sided betting Super Bowl," said Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US. Westgate tops all Las Vegas sportsbook with the highest opening line for Carolina at -5.5, while most others have them favored anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 points.

By Wednesday morning, the consensus line had shifted to -5 in favor of Carolina, including several five-figure wagers at the Westgate. By that evening, the consensus at Vegas sportsbooks was Carolina -5.5, with the lowest lines at the Wynn (-5) and Treasure Island (-4.5)

"Over 80 percent of the early money and tickets are on the Panthers -4.5, and we are still writing tickets at that ratio," said John Avello, the race and sports operations director at Wynn and Encore. I could see us going higher (possibly to 5.5, but even to 6)."

According to an estimate issued by the American Gaming Association, Americans are expected to wager at least $4.2 billion on the game, an 8 percent increase over 2015, with roughly 97 percent of all those bets being of an illegal nature.

Last year, $115.9 million was bet on the game at Nevada sportsbooks, which scored a profit of some $3.2 million when the New England Patriots knocked off the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.

With Newton leading the Panthers (15-1) this time around, many are convinced there will be no such drama. The former Auburn star and leading MVP candidate passed for 35 touchdowns and ran for another 10 this season in amassing 4,500 yards from scrimmage.

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