What’s the line on a New England-Dallas Super Bowl?

In a pool of serious Super Bowl contenders that seems shallow at this point, Bill Belichick is the shark. The New England Patriots are No. 1 in the NFL power rankings and unlikely to sink anytime soon.

Barring an injury to quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots will be favored to be playing on the first Sunday in February.

The Patriots’ opponent figures to be the Dallas Cowboys, who are staring at a quarterback controversy and far more uncertainty. Will it be Tony Romo or rookie Dak Prescott? Will owner Jerry Jones find a way to break a team in need of no fixing? There’s plenty of time for things to change.

At Station Casinos, the Super Bowl line shows the AFC as a 5½-point favorite over the NFC. At some other sports books, the line is 6.

“If it’s Patriots-Cowboys, I think you would see 7 today,” Sunset Station sports book director Chuck Esposito said.

The Patriots are 7-1, including a 4-0 streak since Brady returned from a four-game suspension. The Cowboys (7-1) have won seven in a row since Prescott lost his first start 20-19 to the New York Giants.

“As for a New England-Dallas game, I take out New England’s first four games, so using power ratings with only Brady, I get the Patriots by 3 and make the total 49,” said handicapper Scott Kellen (SixthSenseSports.com). “I have three different power ratings I use, which vary from New England by 1, 2½ and 6. The average of those is 3.”

If the Cowboys get derailed, who’s No. 2 in the NFC?

“Three weeks ago, I thought the Vikings were one of those teams,” Esposito said. “Something is just wrong with Green Bay. You think you have a team figured out, and then you don’t week to week.”

Minnesota (5-3) is fading fast, losing three in a row as a favorite. Green Bay (4-4) still has a shot to regroup as long as Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback, but the Packers need to get hot to even reach the playoffs.

Atlanta (6-3) and Seattle (5-2-1) are NFC teams to watch in the season’s second half. The Seahawks are 7½-point underdogs at New England on Sunday night, and the result of that game could shape public perception going forward.

Aside from a quarterback dilemma, Dallas faces a potential problem with rookie Ezekiel Elliott, the league’s leading rusher. Elliott is the focus of an NFL investigation into domestic violence claims, and there is speculation he could face a suspension.

The Cowboys are 2½-point underdogs at Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers (4-4) should be a major factor in the AFC if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy.

The AFC West also has three contenders — Oakland (7-2), Kansas City (6-2) and Denver (6-3).

Betting the AFC representative as a 5½-point Super Bowl favorite could prove to be a bargain, but only if Brady, Belichick and the Patriots make it there as the favorites.

The Cowboys are a wild card, so to speak. A New England-Dallas showdown, with a line of 7, would attract a lot of underdog action in a Super Bowl almost sure to break Nevada’s record wagering handle of $132.5 million.

Contact sports betting reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow @mattyoumans247 on Twitter.