NFL football betting - Super Bowl odds

Sports book odds: one favorite, one surprise to play for Super Bowl XLIII

UPDATE: Follow the links for the most up-to-date Super Bowl odds and Super Bowl lines.

• WHAT: NFL football betting
• WHEN: February 28, 2009 at 6:28 p.m. ET
• WHERE: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL

Last Five Years:

Super Bowl 42 - New York Giants 17, New England 14

Super Bowl 41 - Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17

Super bowl 40 - Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10

Super Bowl 39 - New England 24, Philadelphia 21

Super Bowl 38 - New England 32, Carolina 29

It’s probably far from the Super Bowl matchup most fans expected but, yes, it’s true—the Arizona Cardinals will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 43.

Pittsburgh, of course, entered the season with respectable Super Bowl odds. The Steelers have a solid core of talent and are just a few seasons removed from a Super Bowl victory, when they knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in 2005-06. With a punishing defense and formidable offense, Pittsburgh is looking for its sixth Super Bowl championship.

Arizona, on the other hand, wasn’t on anyone’s map. The Cardinals don’t have five career playoff wins, let along five Super Bowls (unless you count their days as the Chicago Chardinals), though this season they’ve already collected two more postseason victories than they had in the past 60 years. It’s all about offense in Arizona, but the defense has been surprisingly good too.

The Steelers went 12-4 to win the AFC North, and they advanced to the Big Dance after facing their bitter rivals from Baltimore. The Ravens had three chances to knock off Pittsburgh this year and couldn’t achieve the feat once. Those close, bitterly contested contests have left the Steelers battle hardened, however, and Super Bowl betting fans will be interested to see how the Cardinals hold up against their physicality.

The Cards, of course, were crowned champions of the NFC West—though that’s not necessarily something to be proud of. Arizona won just nine games and truly faltered down the stretch, losing four of its last six games and getting blown out in several of them. The Cardinals found their wings down the stretch, though, having won four straight games including playoffs—culminating in last Sunday’s surprising NFC Championship win over the Eagles.

Now, Arizona and Pittsburgh will square off in the biggest game of the year. The Steelers are already favored by seven, naturally, but the Cardinals are used to being doubted at this point. Do they have enough tricks in their bag to pull out one more improbable victory?

The Arizona Cardinals have been a different team on the road, particularly in the Eastern time zone. In the comfort of their own home, the Cardinals are a team to reckon with but as soon as they have to travel, they become very soft.

The Steelers are the most physical team that they have faced yet and unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Steelers have a huge edge in experience. On top of that, the Steelers have the better defense.

Pittsburgh finished with the second-most sacks in the NFL (51) and the No. 1 ranked rush defense. That means it’s likely that Arizona’s newly-found offense balance due to the emergence of Edgerrin James might not be there for support, which will put too much pressure on Warner.

Look for the Steelers to become the first franchise in the NFL to win their sixth Super Bowl.

Super Sunday is generally the biggest betting day of the entire sports wagering year for offshore sportsbooks, and Super Bowl 43 betting should be no different. Last year was huge for players who went with the New York Giants, who staged one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl betting history when they ruined New England’s unbeaten season with a 17-14 win as 12.5-point Super Bowl betting underdogs.

This has been one of the strangest years for NFL betting players, as three of the top five 2008 Super Bowl contenders to start the season missed the playoffs. New England fought gamely to an 11-5 record after Tom Brady was hurt eight minutes into the season, but they were beat out by Miami to the AFC East title. Dallas suffered another December collapse, losing three of its last four. Jacksonville never got going, losing its first two games of the season before stumbling to a 5-11 mark as the NFL’s biggest disappointment. The final two teams of the top five were Indianapolis and San Diego, both of which fell in the postseason.

This figures to be one of the most exciting Super Bowl betting experiences in recent history. Pittsburgh odds are -280 on the money line, while Arizona odds clock in at +230 on the money line, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t in for a great game. As the New York Giants proved last season, the biggest stage is sometimes suited for the biggest upsets.

For more Super Bowl odds or picks to bet on sports, check out the Sportsbook.

Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?