NFL Super Bowl Betting – A Look At The Super Bowl Offenses

Sports betting players will be breaking down the big game from all sides, and we’re going to give you a hand, starting with the offense and a pair of the game’s elite quarterbacks. Who will have the edge in Dallas?

Quarterback: Steelers Packers Betting

Ben Roethlisberger isn’t mentioned with guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and even his Green Bay Packers counterpart, but he’s going for his third Super Bowl ring in his seven-year career. You can say that he has been lifted by great defenses, but there may not be a better big-game quarterback in the league right now than Roethlisberger, and it’s his ability to extend plays that makes him a problem. It sometimes gets him into trouble, and he takes unnecessary sacks, but more often than not, Roethlisberger will roll out and make a play as he did against the New York Jets in the AFC title game, when he found Antonio Brown on a broken play that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a first down and allowed them to run the clock out.

Aaron Rodgers has better numbers that Roethlisberger, but this year he showed the swagger of a guy who knows he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He can also extend plays, although the Packers would rather he didn’t due to his concussion problems (he had two this season). Rodgers has been the best quarterback in these playoffs in leading the Packers to three tough wins in very hostile places, and he has nerves of steel. The only place where he comes up substantially short of Roethlisberger is the big-game experience, as the Super Bowl is an entirely different ball of wax compared to playoff games. We’ll really see how Rodgers’ nerves hold up. Don’t worry about the sore shoulder being reported; by game time, Rodgers should be very close to 100%.

Betting Edge: Draw

Running Backs: Steelers Packers Betting

Rashard Mendenhall has just four 100-yard games this year, and the Steelers have won all four, including in the AFC title game against the Jets. He’s not really a big-play back, averaging 3.9 yards per carry with a long of 50 yards this season, but Mendenhall is a guy who can wear down a defense with his bruising style, but don’t sleep because he’s deceptively quick. Mewelde Moore has jumped over Isaac Redman, probably because of his experience, but Roethlisberger would likely get the call over either if the Steelers needed a first down and Mendenhall couldn’t go. The running game has been hurt by injuries to the offensive line, but you definitely can’t count out the Steelers on the ground.

NFL betting players saw the Packers suffer a massive blow to their running game when Ryan Grant went down in the first game of the season, and Brandon Jackson stepped up to take the reins, but he’s not really explosive with just two runs of 20 yards or more. But he struggled down the stretch and the Packers went to James Starks, a sixth-round rookie who is now leading the NFL in postseason rushing yards. The running game basically slows down the blitz so the passing game can operate in Green Bay, and that was proven in Atlanta, where the Falcons tried to focus on Starks and got picked apart by Rodgers. Still, the jury is still out on Starks.

Betting Edge: Steelers

Wide Receivers: Steelers Packers Betting

Pittsburgh has better receivers than you think they have, and in Mike Wallace, they may have the pre-eminent deep threat in the game. Wallace, along with the aforementioned Brown, can stretch the field and go deep for Roethlisberger, which opens up the underneath for tight end Heath Miller and Hines Ward, who remains Roethlisberger’s favorite target in the slot in the red zone even though Wallace leads the team in first downs. Emmanuel Sanders has had some of his passes go to Brown, but he is a dangerous No.4 receiver for the Steelers, and Antwaan Randle-El is still on the team as well.

The Green Bay receivers are no slouches either, led by Greg Jennings, who may be the quietest No.1 receiver in the league and he has three 100-yard games in his last five starts, including the last two games. Donald would be compared to Ward, the wily old veteran who is a crisp route-runner and has sure hands on third down. James Jones and Jordy Nelson fill out the receiving core, and you wonder just how good the Packers would be with Jermichael Finley, the tight end with two 100-yard games in the first four of the season before going down with a knee injury. Andrew Quarless has been decent, but he’s no Finley. Still, a slight edge goes to the Packers.

Betting Edge: Packers

Offensive Line: Steelers Packers Betting

The Steelers have been dealing with injuries up front all season, but they have to get center Maurkice Pouncey back in the lineup. Pouncey, the rookie who was selected to the Pro Bowl, is the lynchpin and the one that holes the line together for the Steelers. Flozell Adams hasn’t been great this season opposite left tackle Jonathan Scott, who started nine of 16 games in the regular season. Guard Ramon Foster has bounced in and out of the lineup, while Chris Kemoteau is probably their most consistent lineman outside of Pouncey. The Steelers have been dealing with shuffling the line all year, but losing Pouncey would be a huge blow to their Super Bowl betting chances.

The Packers have also been hurt by injuries, starting with left tackle Chad Clifton, who has been banged up but he’s started every game for Green Bay. On the other side, rookie Bryan Bulaga has taken over for T.J. Lang, who can play all across the line. Daryn Colledge and Josh Sitton have both started every game for the Packers, but they haven’t been at 100%. The same goes for center Scott Wells, but the Packers are going to get the edge here because they seem the healthier of the two teams right now, although it wouldn’t be hard considering Pittsburgh’s troubles up front. However, Roethlisberger’s ability to scramble negates that advantage just a bit.

Betting Edge: Packers

Outlook: Steelers Packers Betting

The slight edge is going to go to Green Bay based on their health, and it’s more of a traditional offense led by Rodgers. However, it isn’t a big edge as Roethlisberger seems to thrive in chaos, and when the play breaks down, that is when he is at his most dangerous. The Steelers’ best bet would be to try and grind with Mendenhall, although we have seen Roethlisberger have some huge games. If Pouncey is out, the Steelers’ online betting chances could be in trouble.

Stan’s Pick: Green Bay Packers