Super Bowl Preview - Can the Giants Stop Perfection?

"Who you betting on?"
That's been the question all of my friends have been asking me for the last twelve days, starting the moment that the Super Bowl was set and the betting lines released. The New England Patriots (18-0) were initially favored by 13 points over the New York Giants (13-6). Depending on where you are currently shopping your bet, the line has dropped to as low at 12 points at the Mirage sports book in Las Vegas or -11.5 on BoDog. The over/under for the final score is 54 points throughout Las Vegas and at most online sites, but BoDog has it set at 54.5, whilst PartyBets has the line at 53.5. The money line at PartyBets has New England at 1.23 and New York at 4.25.
The Super Bowl is the single most wagered American sporting event in all of Las Vegas. It tops March Madness (the college basketball championship), the MLB playoffs, the NBA playoffs, and the NHL playoffs combined. The Super Bowl attracts millions of amateur bettors from all over the world, along with the die-hard pro football junkies. The best part about the Super Bowl is getting to bet on random proposition bets such as which team will win the opening coin flip, which player will score the first touchdown, or the length of time it will take Jordin Sparks to sing the National Anthem. BoDog has that over/under line set a 1 minute and 42 seconds.
Everyone had an opinion on the Big Game, particularly whether or not the New England Patriots can finish up their magical season with an unprecedented 19-0 record. The season has been full of constant distractions for the Pats, including their infamous cheating scandal. New England violated league rules in the first game of the season when they were caught using electronic means to steal signals during a game against New York Jets. They were reprimanded by NFL officials, yet still dominated every team in their path. Even off field distractions don't seem to faze the Patriots, including the relentless menagerie of paparazzi buzzing over quarterback Tom Brady's most recent celebrity girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. A majority of fans, me included, are completely sick of the pre-game hype and all the Giselle chatter. Just play the damn game already!
Sportsbooks in Las Vegas and online betting sites all over the internet are experiencing a heavy volume of action, mostly on the New York Giants. According to several of my sources in both New England and New York City, their local bookies are taking on a slew of action, so much that some of them are worried. One friend in Rhode Island and Boston told me that everyone is betting their beloved Patriots very hard. All of the bookies in New England are sweating the game immensely, because a Patriots blow out might wipe out their entire season's profits. Some Boston bookies have jacked the spread as high as -15.
In New York City, the bookies have been moving the lines to reflect the loyalty of home town bettors. According to my neighborhood bookie in the Bronx (otherwise known as "Nine and Half Fingered Vinny"), he's been seeing some much action on the Giants that he had to lower the line to 10 points to try to get more money betting on the Patriots side.
Friends in Las Vegas have told me that the lines at the various casinos moved earlier in the week from 13.5 to the current line of 12. Initially the majority of the money went on the Giants, and the Vegas oddsmakers quickly adjusted.
I came across some interesting information about the Super Bowl officiating staff from my buddy 'Miami' Don Wade, a sports bettor from Las Vegas.
"Mike Carey will be the referee. He and Jeff Triplet are the two most, shall we say, 'shady' refs in the NFL. So don't be surprised if there is some controversy surrounding either the point spread or the total with some sort of questionable calls."
The New England Patriots are chasing immortality. That's their added incentive for the game, but will they have the men in stripes on their side as well? The Patriots achieved perfection by amassing a 16-0 perfect season record and have gone 2-0 in the playoffs so far, with more than their fair share of calls going their way. Only the New York Giants stand in their way from a 19-0 mark-- the same Giants who put New England's streak in jeopardy in the last game of the season, before the Patriots stepped it up in the fourth quarter and won the game.
"The Giants did hang with New England for three plus quarters in Week 17, but the score was very misleading as the Pats dominated the game statistically," said Miami Don.
The New England Patriots are simply too strong of a team. But I can't bring myself to bet on them. The Giants seem much more relaxed than the Patriots who have more pressure on them to win.
So who am I taking? The New York Giants with the points. Although they'll keep it close, New England will eventually pull away in the 4th quarter and win by a less then ten points.

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