Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. The best damn holiday of the year. When the sights and sounds of football are music to our ears, after all the buildup and talk. This year especially, I think the game will live up to the hype and then some. Yes, bro, It will be "epic" in every sense of the word.
The blabbermouths from New York and Boston have had plenty to talk about over the last two weeks, and they're sure as hell gonna have a ton to talk about for months afterwards. Everyone will be drinking & partying hard going into the game: from the young NYC office professionals who can run out, celebrate and finally claim "I was there when WE WON!!!!" to the die-hard Patriot fans waiting for another shot at the Giants, to all the blue-collar workers & soldiers across this country that live for the game of football. Your time is now. Enjoy it. And while you're 5 beers deep at someone's house party, paying $12 per Bud Light at a crammed Manhattan bar (thank you, Giants!), or tailgating at a thousands-strong watch party in Indy, remember one thing: You can get rich off the Super Bowl. And maybe even skip work to drink more at a victory parade on Tuesday.
Prop Bet Picks: A Super Bowl tradition is everyone at the party taking at least one ridiculously dumb prop bet over the course of Super Bowl Sunday, everything from Madonna's hair color to the length of her performance, length of national anthem, color of Gatorade dumped on winning coach, to the number of times NBC will show or mention Peyton Manning during the broadcast (over/under 3.5). For a game with this many people watching (likely to be an another all-time TV record), if you want to bet on something chances are you can do it. But the best bet of all is that you will lose money if you bet props. Happens every year. They are sucker lines designed to reel you in. Bet like a 20 on one of the props if you want, but don't expect to make it back. You can't put your next month's rent on whether Tom Coughlin will take an orange or blue Gatorade shower. Yes I'm talking to you, everyone's degenerate gambling cousin or uncle. Let's get to the only bet that matters.
The Lines: Giants +3 (-120), Pats -3 (even money), Pats win (-135), Giants win (+115)
Analysis: The Giants came through at +115 in the game against the Niners, and +255 (in some books +310) in their upset over Green Bay. So far, they have been every bettor's darling. On the other side Bahston fans are talking a big game, saying "Oh, but the Pats are out for revenge", "The 2-week layover will take the Giants out of their rhythm", and "Oh, no going against Brady", blah blah. We've heard all those before, and one time this year already, revenge talk hasn't worked. And also, um, remember Super Bowl 42? Um, best Super Bowl of all time. Sorry, Boston, it's the luck of the draw.
The truth is, this year's Patriots O-line was unable to stop Terrelle Suggs & Ray Lewis from taking Brady out of his offensive rhythm, and the Pats defense ALMOST got embarrassed by Joe Flake-O (ask any Baltimore fan whether they think that pass to Lee Evans was, in fact, a catch.) Whether it was Billy Cundiff or the ghost of Myra Kraft who shanked that chip-shot field goal that would have sent the game to overtime, fact is the Ravens woulda, shoulda, almost won that game. If they had this much trouble with the Ravens, Brady has another thing coming. And on the personal side, if your supermodel GF has to write a public email asking people to "pray" for you, then I'm sorry you DESERVE to get beat.
JPP, Osi, JT, Mathias, Webster, Rolle. They are already cult heroes in New York. This Giants D-line is damn good. Best-coached line in this tournament, and they ain't scared of Brady. Ain't scared of the stage, ain't scared of the hype. They play in New York after all. Everyone on the Giants side is saying JPP will spring free and tear Brady's head off. And they're not entirely wrong. If they can manage to shut Brady down and take Grawnk out of the game (you see, the Bahston fans are already panicking), then this is the Giants' title to lose. Defense and special teams wins championships. Ask this "epic bro" in San Francisco. Ask this crying Packers fan in Wisconsin. The Giants' defensive line is a force to be reckoned with.
The Pats meanwhile, are weak on defense. VERY weak. Nicks or CRUUUUUUUUUZ can easily spring free on their overworked secondary & pull a 99-yarder. Jets fans know. And this Giants quarterback, yeah he's a winner. No one needs to argue or talk any more about how Eli is proving he's better than Pey-Pey at least short-term. On Sunday, he will go out and prove he's worth every penny of that $100 million dollar deal.
The Pick: Giants +3. Take the 3 points just to be safe, but I think the Giants will win outright, and G-Men fans everywhere from Brooklyn to Murray Hill to Albany to Indy will have a very, very good night. One of those "epic" nights that comes around, oh um, once every four years.
No comments:
Post a Comment