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02/07/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before Peyton Manning's future become dissected and over-analyzed to tiresome Favrethian degrees over the next month, it's time to give his little brother some very big credit.
If there were any lingering doubts about Eli Manning's worthiness among the NFL's upper echelon of quarterbacks heading into Super Bowl XLVI, they were erased much like the New England Patriots' once-mighty mystique in the aftermath of Sunday's latest vintage performance by the NFL's new king of clutch.
Eli Manning's fearless and flawless effort in the late stages of his New York Giants' 21-17 edging of the Patriots at The House that Peyton Built, Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, is certainly nothing new -- he's now engineered two Super Bowl-winning touchdown drives and three overall in the final minute against the very same foe within a four-year span.
His present mentioning in the same stratosphere of the all-time greats at the sport's most glorious position? Now that's anything but old hat.
What a difference a year can make.
Twelve months ago, the younger Manning was still considered one of the game's true enigmas -- terrific at times, maddeningly horrid at others -- and was coming off a particularly frustrating 2010 season in which he threw a league- high 25 interceptions and was responsible for a whopping 30 total turnovers in 16 starts. But jump ahead to the Monday after the NFL's most recent showcase extravaganza, and the talk isn't whether he belongs in the elite category -- it's whether he'll be one day sharing a bust alongside his brother in Canton.
And such an argument can no longer be viewed as either preposterous or premature. Manning is now the proud owner of two Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards following this cold-blooded come-through, placing him in the company of Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr and the man he outgunned on Sunday, Tom Brady.
Those first three are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brady's going there someday. And Manning has now bested the New England superstar in three consecutive head-to-head meetings, two of which came in the game that most defines a quarterback's legacy.
And Manning's importance to the Giants' fourth Super Bowl title run, a prospect that seemed unfathomable when the team was stuck in playoff purgatory with a 7-7 record entering the regular season's final two weeks, can absolutely not be understated. Twelve times New York trailed in the fourth quarter of a game, and they rallied to win seven of those contests. Five of them came on the road.
And in those seven victories, Manning threw for a total of nine touchdowns.
"We've been in this situation time in and time out," said wide receiver Hakeem Nicks afterward. "We knew what we were capable of doing, and we got the job done."
To be fair, Manning did have some help in pulling off this feat, from both his teammates and the opponent. The comeback wouldn't have been possible without wide receiver Mario Manningham channeling his inner David Tyree and making a stupendous 38-yard catch along the sidelines to begin the deciding drive. The Giants may not have had a chance to take the lead if the ever-reliable Wes Welker doesn't let a Brady deep strike slip through his fingers on the preceding series, or if the Patriots managed to successfully recover any of three New York fumbles over the course of the night.
And even referee John Parry's ruling of intentional grounding by Brady in the end zone in the first quarter had a profound effect on the game's ending. If Parry doesn't make that call -- though justifiable, probably half of the officials rule in Brady's favor -- the Patriots likely are trailing by only a field goal (assuming the Giants kicked the extra point instead of going for two on the last score) when getting the ball back with 57 seconds left instead of needing a touchdown.
Still, none of that takes anything away from Manning's superb play, both on New York's critical last possession or the game itself, or how one man's exploits has permanently changed the fortunes of both of these two franchises.
Just think about if the Giants don't come out on top on Sunday, or if Manning and Tyree fail to connect for that miracle reception that triggered New England's demise in Super Bowl XLII four years ago. The Patriots would have an unprecedented five Lombardi Trophies in an 11-year span (the 49ers won four over 11 seasons from 1984-94) and a deserved reputation of one of the NFL's most dominant dynasties, instead of the tarnished label they now carry courtesy of the team that's become their biggest nemesis (sorry, Rex Ryan).
And Manning doesn't achieve the distinction he now rightfully holds -- that of the best quarterback in the league today with the game on the line.
"A game like this, I didn't expect nothing less," quipped Nicks.
As for Peyton, it's anybody's guess as to whether he'll ever have another opportunity to play in a Super Bowl, and it seems inevitable that the four-time league MVP will have to chase that goal in some other locale than the only one he's ever known as a professional and where's he's held in a reverence reserved for royalty. But that's a topic for another day...and the day after...and so on until his 2012 fate is finally determined.
As for Indianapolis, Super Bowl XLVI should in no way be its last after how the city expertly handled its first shot as a host.
Though the bar may have been set somewhat low, as let's face it, Central Indiana isn't normally on most people's preferred list of desired destinations for the first week of February. Indianapolis knew it needed to swing for the fences to make an impression on the NFL, the national media and all it's visitors -- and by all accounts knocked it out of the park.
There were no embarrassing ticket snafus like the one that gave Dallas a black eye at last year's game, or long and tedious shuttle rides across the prairie to get to and from the stadium. Nothing was overdone, but everything was done right.
And in reality, that shouldn't have come as a surprise. With a centrally- convenient layout and a relatively close proximity to a number of major markets, Indianapolis is a place built to host championships. And the town has plenty of experience in doing so, having put on seven NCAA Men's Basketball Final Fours in its history and four since 1997. Plus you may be familiar with a certain auto race held on the city's outskirts every Memorial Day weekend, which just happens to be the largest-attended single-day sporting event in the United States.
Now, there's no question Indy got a big assist from Mother Nature, with this past week's weather more in line with the middle of May than the middle of winter. But even if the temperature had been hovering in the 20's instead of the 50's, it would have been hard to come away displeased after how professional and hospitable the city and its people were.
If there's one factor that could work against Indianapolis in its quest for more Super Bowls, it's size. Lucas Oil Stadium's maximum capacity of around 70,000 makes it among the NFL's smaller venues, and it was a bit of a chore at times getting through the mammoth crowds that had packed the downtown streets and its establishments to the brim.
But that's nitpicking. Here's hoping the league puts public satisfaction above attendance and revenue maximizing when reviewing Indy's Super Bowl candidacy in the future.
<< Defensive backs lead FCS contingent going to NFL Combine
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defensive backs from Football Championship
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Half of the 22 FCS players who have been invited to the Feb. 22-28 showcase
at Lucas Oil
<< UC Davis switches date of 2012 opener
Davis, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The UC Davis football team's 2012 season opener
against Azusa Pacific has been changed to Thursday, Aug. 30 at Aggie Stadium.
The game was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, Sept. 1.
The Aggies are
<< Flyers seek rebound effort against Islanders
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to rebound after a dismal
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battle at the Wells Fargo Center.
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Pattaya City, Thailand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time champion Vera Zvonareva
and reigning titlist Daniela Hantuchova posted first-round wins, while second-
seeded Dominika Cibulkova came up a loser Tuesday at the $220,000 Pattaya Open
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Johnson granted sixth season at Eastern Washington >>
Cheney, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eastern Washington linebacker Zach Johnson has
been granted a medical waiver by the NCAA for a sixth season, Eagles head
coach Beau Baldwin announced Tuesday.
Johnson has lost 19 games due to a chronic knee inju
Bears bring in Jeremy Bates to work with QBs >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears on Tuesday reached an
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Bates is familiar with Chicago starter Jay Cutler, having worked with him for
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Santana to replace Luxemburgo at Flamengo >>
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Flamengo announced Tuesday that it
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Sevilla names Michel new coach >>
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sevilla named former Real Madrid and Spain
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the S
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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It’s time to see how the biggest NFL free agent signings will perform for their news teams. Some will work out and could be the difference that makes a difference in the win column.
We look at the best off-season signings and if they should influence your NFL betting this season. Julius Peppers – Peppers was the biggest prize available on the 2010 NFL free agent market and the Chicago Bears opened the bank to bring his talents to the south side.
Peppers is explosive, he can get around blockers and cause quarterbacks to lose their minds. We all remember the classic Peppers game last year against the Vikings where he hounded Brett Favre into his worst game of the season. Peppers joining the Bears could be the reason Favre retired for good Tuesday morning. In addition to Peppers, the Bears added Chester Taylor to back up Matt Forte, Forte didn’t have the same intensity in 2009 compared to 2008 and bringing in Taylor will challenge Forte to bring it every game or he’ll risk losing carries to Taylor.
Betting on the Bears is a good option this season because of Julius Peppers and to a lesser extent Taylor. Antonio Bryant and Terrell Owens – The Cincinnati Bengals signed two former number one wide receivers to line up with Chad Ocho Cinco. Antonio Bryant had a huge season in 2008 catching 83 passes for over 1200 yards but regressed last season. Playing for the Tampa Bay Bucs last season was a large part of the regression, everyone was bad in TB last season.
Bryant should have a bounce back season if he can win the number two spot from Terrell Owens. If Bryant wins the number 2 WR spot, it will open up a completely new set of problems for the Bengals. If Owens is forced to the bench in favor of Bryant, his attitude will create trouble for Carson Palmer and head coach Marv Lewis. If Owens is the number two receiver, it means Bryant can’t live up to his past numbers and the Bengals are still limited in the passing game. NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. 2010 football betting lines for this can be found at this top online sportsbook. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense.
NFL bettors should be wary of laying their money down on what could potentially be the biggest gong show in the league in 2010. Karlos Danby – The Miami Dolphins have a great running back tandem in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, a good young QB in Chad Henne and now the Bill Parcells regime is building a solid defense. They signed away the Arizona Cardinals top linebacker Karlos Danby. In the past two seasons, Danby has totaled 228 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The Dolphins are the forgotten team of the AFC East with the second longest odds to win the division but with the addition of Karlos Danby and a trade for WR Brandon Marshall makes the Miami Dolphins legitimate contenders in the AFC East and in the NFL’s Eastern Conference.
The Dolphins will make NFL wagering fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
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