Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have been tabbed by Las Vegas oddsmakers as the new favorites to win the Super Bowl after the defending champion New York Giants were eliminated from the playoffs yesterday.

The Steelers have the best record among the four teams playing for the National Football League’s conference championships. They have 11-10 odds to claim their record sixth Super Bowl title, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which advises Nevada sports books on betting lines.

Pittsburgh (12-4 in the regular season) will host the Baltimore Ravens (11-5) in the American Football Conference championship game, while the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) visit the Arizona Cardinals (9-7) in the National Football Conference title game.

The winners of the Jan. 18 conference championships advance to the Super Bowl, which is Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida.

The Eagles are the second Super Bowl favorite at 11-5 after eliminating the Giants, Las Vegas Sports Consultants said. They’re followed by the Ravens at 7-2 and the Cardinals at 11-2.

At 11-10 odds, a winning $100 bet on the Steelers would return $110.

Dan O’Brien, an oddsmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, said the Steelers’ experience -- making the AFC championship game for the third time in five years -- and league-best defense make them the favorites to hoist the Super Bowl trophy.

“The Steelers might actually fly a little under the radar,” O’Brien said in a telephone interview. “They have one of the best defenses of the past 20, 30 years. And defense wins championships.”

Six-Point Favorites

The Steelers are six-point favorites over the Ravens, while the Eagles are favored by 2 1/2 points over the Cardinals, according to Consultants, which advises Nevada sports books on betting lines.

The Steelers have the best seeding of any of the teams left in the playoffs after the two conference No. 1 seeds lost in the second round to sixth seeds. The NFC’s top seed, the New York Giants, were beaten by the Eagles 23-11 yesterday, and the AFC’s top team, the Tennessee Titans, fell to the Ravens 13-10.

“It definitely would have been more attractive from a betting standpoint if the Giants had made it in again,” said Jeff Sherman, assistant manager for the Hilton Race and Sports Book in Las Vegas. “There’s a lot of people from New York, all over the country.”

Arizona Cardinals

The Steelers are the second seed in the AFC, while the Cardinals are the fourth seed in the NFC.

“If the Cardinals make the Super Bowl, that will definitely be a less-attractive matchup for the betting public,” Sherman said. “The larger the market, the more attractive from a betting perspective.”

The Eagles and Ravens were each seeded sixth after receiving wild-card playoff berths, which go to the two non- division winners from each conference with the best records.

It was the first time in NFL history that two sixth seeds upset No. 1 seeds in the second round of the playoffs.

“The most marquee matchup we would have had would be the Giants and Steelers,” Sherman said. “The Eagles-Steelers would be pretty good too.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 12, 2009 13:32 EST