NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Take: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS +1
If you read my free play breakdowns on a regular basis, you know I try to indicate some sound reasoning as to why I like a game. Obviously, it doesn’t always pay off, but as long as the thought process remains consistent and rational, the long term results should continue to be pretty solid. +81.8 net since starting these is a good enough indicator that the process works.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a great deal of analysis on this game. For every pro, there seems to be a con. The number on the game is right where it should be and there’s nothing in the particular matchup that strikes me as so definitive it makes one side a much better option than the other.
So I’ve basically fallen back on my most basic stat to make this decision. Anyone who’s seen or heard me for however many years I’ve been doing this knows that for me, the first thing I try to determine in any football game is who will win the rushing stats battle. The game might continue to evolve, but that one consistent still exists. Win in the trenches and win on the scoreboard.
In this Super Bowl, the better rushing offense and the better rushing defense belong to Seattle. Since I can’t really determine that there’s anything else to offset that to a huge extent, and that better rushing team needs only to win the game to collect the cash, I’m siding with the Seahawks. That’s hardly a rousing endorsement and clearly not a reason to bet even one acre of your farm, but I’l go with Seattle to win it’s second straight title.