OFD Opinions: Super Bowl XLIX

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC:

The New England Deflators Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks square off on this Sunday in Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix, Arizona.  The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM EST and will be aired on NBC.  Who do you think will win the game?  As a bonus, give us a prop bet and some odds for the big game.

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Jim:

Can I go with the meteor option for this game?  I don't want to see the whole crowd taken out, just two head coaches and a certain QB that promotes Australian leather shoes for men.  Honestly, I really don't care who wins this game as New England and Seattle are two of the least likable franchises in the NFL.  If I were forced to pick, I think New England ends up winning this game in a close one.  I don't know if Seattle can generate enough offense to pull this one out.  Russell Wilson is the key--if he is able to move around and make things happen, the Seahawks will be in good shape.  If not--game over.

As for a prop bet, how about this: The number of times Pete Carroll is shown on TV giving a high five to his players.  I'll set the line at 7.5 and take the over.

Brendan:

I actually kind of like Seattle - Wilson, Lynch, Sherman, and Chancellor all rank among my favorites to watch at their respective positions. And I don't hate Pete Carroll so much either; my biggest problem with the guy stems from the fact that he was so freaking good at USC. In fact, as a fan of general health and happiness, I kind of hope his coaching style catches on in the NFL. Although I'm not holding my breath. Anyway... I'm pretty much the polar opposite of Jim here. I think New England is going to have big problems with Seattle's defense, which won't roll out the red carpet on the ground like Indianapolis did. On the flip side, I think Wilson is generally at his best when the lights are bright and, and that he got away with one bad game against Green Bay more than he got exposed by Green Bay. And Lynch is Lynch. Seahawks by 8.

For my prop bet, I'll set the O/U on evil mastermind strolls taken by Pete Carroll at 0.5, and take the over. Because it gives me an excuse to include this.

Eric:

The one thing holding me back in picking Seattle is that it's really hard to repeat as Super Bowl champions. How many times have you heard someone say that recently, right? Although, the Patriots, Broncos, Cowboys, and 49ers have all achieved the feat since 1988 so one could say a repeating champ tends to come around once every 6 years or so. Well, if that's the case we're over-due for a repeat winner!

I just think Seattle is the better team, and while there's been much talk about their lack of receiving options I'm a little more secure in the Lynch/Wilson combo making big plays with their feet. I think that's going to be the deciding factor.

No one has taken this yet so I'll set the over/under prop bet on first quarter closeups of the game football and associated sideline footballs being handled by ball boys at 84,923.

John!:

I wonder what is going on in Tom Brady's head right now. He returns to Glendale, home of arguably the two most difficult losses of his career. This time, though, Eli Manning will be home in New Jersey (maybe playing with his children, maybe catching up on some work around the house, maybe making an elite sandwich) instead of throwing unexpected passes over the Patriots' secondary. Tom Brady is nothing if not an opportunist. He has seen opportunities in expanding shoe markets, equipment specifications, and Facebook memes and he has seized them all. As Jon Bois says, never count out Touchdown Tom. I think the Patriots win close and Tom Brady spontaneously combusts from joy.

My prop bet is the over/ under for Idina Menzel's rendition of the national anthem. Currently set at two minutes and one second, I would take the under at any odds. When Menzel performed "Let It Go" at the Oscars, she was rushing a bit, perhaps flustered by John Travolta's exploits with her name. The Super Bowl is a new stage for Menzel, so I bet she reacts in similar fashion getting in just under two minutes.

pburns2010:

These are both of my guilty pleasure teams. The Patriots because they're the Patriots, and the Seahawks because it feels so wrong to sometimes cheer for Pete Carroll. Trust me, I understand these feelings less than you do. I think this game is going to be absurdly close, probably decided by a last minute score. I am VERY excited to watch Gronk catch a pass over the middle with Cam Chancellor somewhere in the neighborhood, and see how far the shockwave reaches.

My prop bet is for Jonas Gray to score the first TD of the game, at 33 to 1 odds. If I'm going to have any type of enjoyment out of watching Pete Carroll, I'll have to balance out the crazy with some ND love.