Super Bowl XLIX Preview

This week, we experience the ultimate single game in American Sports.  The Super Bowl.  There have been 48 to date, and each literally wrote history, from players to teams to coaches to dynasties. The 49th chapter features two evenly matched teams, here yours truly, J.R. Ewing, evaluates who I think will prevail.

I'm not even going into the disaster that has been my gambling record this postseason.  It went from decent, to Broncos implosion, to complete loss last week.  But note.  I nailed the Super Bowl last year, few were picking the Seahawks straight up over Manning.  But me.


February 1, 2015: 18:30 EST - Glendale, AZ
Seattle Seahawks (+1, +102) vs. New England Patriots (-1, -108) O/U 47.5

This was similar to last year, you look at the sleek AFC team that looks so good and unstoppable on offense, vs. a choppy Seahawks offense that looks borderline inept.  And a Seahawks defense that's salty with momentum vs. an AFC defense that's good enough, but doesn't strike fear into the opponent.  Here it is.  Defense. Wins. Championships.  Period.  The Patriots will suffer the same fate as the Broncos.

Reasons why New England might win.  The Seahawks secondary is dinged, two key players in Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman were hurt by the end of the last game.  Maybe this deflategate will give them reason to have the mentality "it's us against the world.".  Gronk.  Blount.  An opportunistic defense.  And Tom Brady, who if he wins this, I'll put in the pantheon of great QBs with Joe Montana and...that's about it (don't get me wrong, others are good, but for Super Bowls, there are no others, Aikman and Bradshaw won with a same set of weapons around, not quite like Montana/Brady who have won with different talent).

Reasons why the Seahawks WILL win.  That defense.  They were much better against Green Bay than the score, the offense defied them.  Marshawn Lynch is a big game and big play back.  They are a team of destiny, did you see last week?  Eight straight wins and 11-1 in their last 12 games.  A team that took a little time to gel, after the departure of Harvin and some strife.  And a team that is playing loose after they won last week (can you say "house money")? 

I think the pressure and distraction of deflategate plays in.  This isn't a set of Patriots that have won the Super Bowl before, the Seahawks have.  The Seahawks have a better running game and defense, that goes a long way in these games.  They are the team that everyone loves to hate.  And they thrive.

Final Prediction: Seahawks 31, Patriots 14 

So to recap, Seahawks ATS, S/U, and the under (defense reigns this game, no deflated ball for Brady to throw).