Super Bowl Betting – Top 10 Reasons The Colts Will Win Super Bowl XLIV
The Super Bowl odds are up and the Indianapolis Colts are – just as they have been all playoffs long – favored to win it all. While a lot of bettors are on the fence as to which side to choose from, here are 10 reasons to side with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts:
10. Receiving Corps
The Indianapolis Colts have the edge in the receiving corps and when you consider that this will be a passing duel, that could be a very important edge. Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are a better and more reliable trio than Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem.
When Marvin Harrison retired and Anthony Gonzalez was hurt, no online betting sharps thought this would still be a position of strength but it has turned out this way and the Colts have one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.
9. Colts Are Still Perfect This Year
While most sportsbook cappers are miffed by Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest starters down the stretch of the season, the reality is that the Colts have yet to lose a single game this year when they have played their starters the entire way through. That’s saying something.
The Saints were on the perfect route as well but they lost to the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home while trying to win. That’s a big difference than the Colts achievements.
8. Saints Are Nothing They Haven’t Seen Before
The Colts have faced every type of opponent this year and the Saints are nothing new. The Colts have seen the teams that try to run the ball and play keep away from their offense (Miami Dolphins), they have faced the passing squads that try to outscore them (New England Patriots and they have seen the defensive juggernauts that try to blitz (New York Jets). And none of it has worked.
There is nothing that Peyton Manning hasn’t seen and while the Saints will try to blitz him, he’ll expose them every time.
7. Matt Stover
One area where the Colts have a huge edge is place kicking. Matt Stover is a very experienced kicker who has played in and won a Super Bowl (2000). Meanwhile, the Saints place kicker, Garrett Hartley, is a kicker who has attempted just 25 field goals in his NFL career. Stover gives the Colts a huge edge.
6. Dallas Clark
The Colts have a solid receiving corps but what makes their offense even more lethal is tight end Dallas Clark. How valuable is Clark? He led all tight ends in the NFL with 100 receptions and was the only one to reach the century mark. Beyond that, his 100 receptions rank fifth-most in the NFL overall – including wide receivers. He is a great asset on this Colts offense and he is a significant step up over what the Saints have in Jeremy Shockey.
5. Defense
No NFL betting fans would mix up this Colts defense with the Steel Curtain but the Colts, as they did in the Tony Dungy era and continue to do in the Jim Caldwell era, is do enough.
The Colts defense isn’t special but they do have some playmakers. And it seems like every time it comes to crunch time, the Colts do just enough to get off the field. This unit is a little underrated in their capacity to bend, but not break.
4. Coaching Staff
The Colts coaching staff may not be led by the aforementioned Dungy anymore but this is still a very experienced unit. Virtually this entire staff has been together throughout the Dungy era and they all won a Super Bowl together in 2006. That’s a big deal even though Caldwell is head coaching for the first time this year. This is a very experienced staff.
3. Defensive Ends
The Colts may not have a ton of defensive Pro Bowlers but they do have two up front: Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. While the health of Freeney has come in question, the reality is that the Colts have the best pair of pass-rushing ends in the NFL. In a shootout where plenty of passing is expected, the Colts are in good shape with these ends. They’ll be pinning their ears back all game to get at Drew Brees.
2. Experience
One thing that can’t be underestimated is experience. We saw what impact it had on the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings in the Championship games and it will have another impact on the Super Bowl.
It can’t be understated enough: the Colts have been here before while the Saints have not. The Colts should be even more this time around as they know what to expect.
1. Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning is not only the best quarterback of this generation, but he is quickly jumping into the conversation as the best of all-time. He’s clearly a Hall of Famer and he’s clearly brought his own flavor to the game, which has never been seen before.
Calling him the league MVP doesn’t fully describe what he brings to the table. The Colts might be a three- or four-win team without him but with him, they are the best team in the league. He continues to improve each year and he is on track to finish as the best quarterback of all-time.
